


My Strange Addiction

by Eunmih, shitty4eyes



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: "Enemies" to Friends to Lovers, 3RACHA, Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff and Humor, Jisung realizing he's bisexual, M/M, Mutual Pining, Romantic Comedy, Slice of Life, Slight Past Relationship Abuse, dancer hyunjin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:54:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 40,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27695879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eunmih/pseuds/Eunmih, https://archiveofourown.org/users/shitty4eyes/pseuds/shitty4eyes
Summary: “Is he hot?”“No, he’s stupid,” Hyunjin says without thinking about it. Thinking about it could change his mind and that’s just not acceptable.
Relationships: Han Jisung | Han/Hwang Hyunjin
Comments: 30
Kudos: 127





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m Han Jisung.”
> 
> “I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! We're kinda new to Stray Kids (although we've been watching them from the shadows for years) and this is our first fic for this fandom. Please, be nice! ;w; We'd love some feedback. And don't worry, we have it all written down already, we just need to go over the chapters to post them! It shouldn't take long. Have fun!

**Hyunjin**

Hyunjin has never shied away from new experiences or new endeavours, within a sense of reason. He isn’t scared of change in the slightest, even if he can find himself overthinking it to the point of getting anxious. College, though? He hasn’t been this excited for something since his first audition at 1Million Dance Studio, which was already a long time ago, when he was much, much younger. 

It’s early morning, but the campus is already crawling with people. They’re like ants, swarming towards crumbs! _Crumbs of... knowledge…_ Something like that. Hyunjin really hopes his Creative Writing classes will improve his metaphors…

The ants (people) is part of why he’s so excited, though. He has friends from the Dance Studio (if Minho would ever admit to such a thing, that is), but college is about big friend groups and parties and clubs, right? That’s what the movies perpetuate, and like every stereotype, there is probably some foundation of truth in it. Hyunjin isn’t sure whether the people in his Psychology class will be ‘party animals’, exactly, but there’s always hope. Not that Hyunjin _himself_ is a party animal, but maybe his few years living in Las Vegas as a teenager rubbed off on him in some internalized way.

He takes a long, slurpy sip of his iced Americano as he looks around at the people and the buildings and tries to find his first classroom. All the new students toured around during orientation, but Hyunjin barely registered anything with how big the place is; all he really remembers was where to buy _this_ cup of coffee. He is really, _really_ trying to think back to orientation, and he thinks he _does_ recognise the building he heads towards, but all that is coherently bouncing around in his head is the song he danced to a few hours ago. _Which is definitely not something we talked about during orientation, is it?_ Most of his dance classes are early as heck in the mornings, but it’s the best way to wake up and warm up for the day, and Hyunjin has been doing it for so long that it is just part of his routine now. _So, Kehlani, ‘Water’,_ that’s what his neurons are jamming to.

The classroom isn’t full to the brim, but there are definitely more people than Hyunjin expected for such an early class. He sits himself down (with his beloved Americano) at the tables at the back, trying to peek over the shoulder of the person in front of him. _Is that the book we need? It looks like it…_ Unsure, Hyunjin puts the coffee down and pokes the girl’s shoulder to have her look around. 

“Just making sure,” he says once she looks around, and Hyunjin pulls down his mask so she can at least see that he’s smiling. “This is Applied Mathematics & Statistics, right..?”

The girl nods. “Y--Yeah,” she replies, and then quickly lifts the small book for Hyunjin to see.

“Phew, thanks,” Hyunjin huffs, sitting back as the girl looks back around. _Better to make sure than miss class and sit through something like… coding or whatever_. He lets himself relax after getting out his books and stationary, and waits for the class to begin, trying not to hum ‘Water’ too loudly.

As time passes, more people come in. Some of them seem to already know each other, but most people look like cats the moment they walk into an unknown room; big eyes, careful movements, quiet demeanor… Hyunjin is so distracted by the girl with pink hair that walks to the front of the class to sit down at a table all by her lonesome that he barely notices when someone takes the available seat next to him. 

It’s a guy, right? Right. No girl would smell so much like… ‘Just woke up’. He’s wearing a black beanie that covers all of his hair, which in turn is half covered by the hood of his yellow hoodie, eyes somehow the only thing peeking out from in between the black mask and the beanie. He looks so very sleepy, eyes all squinty, moves languid and lazy as he pulls his backpack over the table with a sigh and stares at it for about three minutes before finally deciding to pull open the zip. Hyunjin just watches him while loudly sipping up the last of his Americano.

It’s… literally the first day of class. Day no. 1. And this dude is already ready to fall asleep mid-class? _Aish..._

The guy pulls out his book, a pencil and then a notebook. He puts his backpack down and piles his notebook on top of the book before crossing his arms over the pile and plopping his head down. Hyunjin rolls his eyes and looks away to the front of the class. And here Hyunjin was wondering whether he would instantly make friends with the first person he sat with; that happens all the time, right? But no. He had to get someone who probably won’t even be conscious for the next hour.

The teacher walks in and introduces herself. She hands one of the students an attendance sheet for him to pass around, and while that’s happening in the background of the class, the teacher begins to explain this year’s program as well as asking a couple of questions about statistics. _Which… I have no idea what variance and standard deviation is supposed to be… What? Why is college so hard on day one, already?!_

The girl in front of Hyunjin eventually turns around to pass him the attendance sheet. She glances at the guy sleeping over his things and gives a small giggle before turning back to the front. Hyunjin signs his name before glancing over, as well, seriously considering just… passing it back to the girl in front of him. Attendance means being _awake_ , but… That would be an asshole thing to do. _Stupid moral compass_.

“Yah,” Hyunjin whispers over, poking the guy on his side, probably hitting a rib under all that hoodie. The guy jolts and lifts his head to squint ahead before looking at Hyunjin in utter confusion. So, Hyunjin wiggles the Attendance paper in his hand, and points to the front of the class at the teacher. “Wake up, idiot.”

The guy looks down at the sheet and then squints up at Hyunjin, before reaching over and snatching the sheet. _Ooooh, movement. Impressive_ . He stares at it for a moment before he realizes he needs a _pen_ and not a _pencil,_ so he digs for one inside his backpack and then finally signs the damn thing.

“So what would you say,” the teacher goes, then, “We’d need to do first when looking at this problem? We have the samples, four, six, eight, four again, and ten.” She looks at the class and smiles. “Any ideas?”

The guy next to Hyunjin slides the attendance sheet back to him, but he’s so stupid that he makes the paper sheet slide over the table like it’s on ice and then the thing just flies up and falls to the floor. “Well, fuck…” the guy mumbles.

“Yes?” the teacher goes, perking up to look towards the back of the classroom, “You there? What’s your name?” she asks, and the guy perks up like a soldier standing to attention, eyes suddenly wide. Hyunjin has to put in _serious_ effort not to laugh at his face, then. “Any tips?” the teacher keeps going, gesturing towards the problem on the white board.

“Uh--I, uhm--” the guy tries, clearing his throat to buy himself more time. “Well, you gotta, uh, find the mean, first.”

“Precisely! Thank you, and your name is?”

“Han!” the guy says a little louder. “Han Jisung.”

“Very well, Mr. Han, and how do we find the mean?”

 _Mr. Han_ leans forward and pulls his mask down to his chin before he starts writing in the air with his finger as he says, “It’s an X with a line on top, and the equation is a sum of all the values, so, er, the sleepy M, and then, yeah, divided by the sample size.”

Hyunjin stares a little. _What?_ Does this guy’s smarts only come out when his cheeks are within view?!

“Exactly!” the teacher goes as she turns to scribble on the board. “So, four, plus six, plus eight, plus four, plus ten, divided by five!” She keeps on talking as she solves the rest of the problem, that Hyunjin realises he needs to write down. Not everyone is taking notes but some are, and those are probably the smart ones so better follow their example. Hyunjin is going to need to read up on this shit so _he_ doesn’t look stupid in front of the sleepy not-so idiot next to him.

“Aren’t ya gonna pick that up?” someone whispers nearby, then. When Hyunjin looks, he finds himself staring at _Mr. Han_ , who’s watching him rather unimpressed despite how much his eyes are shifting all over Hyunjin’s face.

“I wasn’t the one who dropped it,” Hyunjin mumbles, frowning between his notebook and what the teacher is writing.

“It’s closer to you than it is to me, s’common sense that you pick it up.”

“Can you stop talking?” Hyunjin whispers with a soft ‘tsk’. “I’m trying to concentrate.”

Jisung keeps watching him for a moment longer, before scoffing his own ‘tsk’ and crossing his arms over his books to rest his chin on them and stare at the front of the class. “Rude…” he huffs, then.

Hyunjin tongues at his cheek, talking without looking over. “Ruder to fall asleep during class and then drop the attendance sheet on the floor…”

“Whatever,” Jisung mumbles, frowning at the white board. Hyunjin wants to roll his eyes but he doesn’t, because that would be just as childish as saying ‘whatever’.

The rest of the class goes by just fine. Jisung ends up dozing off a couple more times but nothing too serious. And, once the teacher dismisses them, he does stand up and picks up the attendance sheet ( _hah, I win)_ to take it to her, who smiles a lot while she chirpily says something to him which in turn seems to make Jisung fluster. 

Hyunjin pouts a little to himself, packing away his things without paying much mind to it. He’s quite used to getting praise, but this is something way out of his comfort zone, and now this _idiot_ who apparently knows more about statistics than he does, is getting praise. Is it a petty thing to pout about? Yes. In any case, he’ll go over his notes, do some research, and return for his next class more than ready to raise his hand and answer the teacher’s questions.

* * *

**Jisung**

College. _Ew._ Jisung didn’t choose this, his parents did. And all because they firmly believe that ‘rapping underground won’t pay the bills’. There’s a lot more to that, of course; drugs, bad people, bad influences, night clubs, somehow bad dieting was mentioned and nobody really knows why… But the _top bit,_ the most important bit, _the tip of the iceberg_ is that Jisung’s dream is a waste of time. Somehow, Jisung feels exactly the same way about college, but what can he do when he’s not the one paying the bills, right? _Haha, cyclic bullshit._ ****

The truth is that Jisung completely forgot that college started _today,_ of all days. It was around 2AM and a few Eyes of Ender later that he realized he had to be awake in a couple of hours. He’d been playing Minecraft all night and he barely noticed the passing time. It’s not entirely his fault, _obviously,_ given that Changbin, who was with him on Discord the entire time, didn’t remember to tell him-- _BECAUSE THE RICH FUCKER DOESN’T GO TO SCHOOL!_ And then in came Bang Christopher Chan! With his fancy Australian accent! Ready to stream something with Changbin on Twitch! And he went, _“What are you doing here, mate?”_ and then it hit Jisung… with a very loud, _oh, fuck,_ and it was at this moment he knew… he fucked up. ****

As it is, it’s nearly 3PM and Jisung’s mind is swimming in numbers and hormone imbalance, because that’s what maths does to a person. Honestly, who in their right mind would agree to a Bachelor in Applied Mathematics and Statistics? Nobody! Which is why their class is so small, which means they literally have to share Statistics with those weirdos from Psychology!--Jisung has heard a few rumors… Psychology students get to their second semester and they’re already psychoanalyzing people like the nervous Creepers that they are… _Scary…_ ****

Sleepy minds beg for food, though, so Jisung agrees to meet with Chan and Changbin for an afternoon lunch slash breakfast because the idiots probably slept until 1PM. _I’m just filled with pettiness at this point…_ That and an incredible craving for jjamppong. Which is exactly what he beams at an hour later, a big bowl of jjamppong just for him. ****

“I’m _starving,”_ he announces, immediately picking up his chopsticks and twirling some of the noodles around them so he can slurp as loudly as humanly possible. “Might ash’well enter food coma after this--” _Munch, munch, munch, sluuuuuurp._ ****

It’s a nice little restaurant that is open practically all day from 12PM to 11PM. Jisung, Changbin and Chan come here a lot. It’s been a thing ever since they were kids and it never stopped being _their_ thing. Not even when Chan graduated, or when he went to spend an entire year abroad once again. It’s actually nice to know that they can always come back to this while also going out there and living out their lives. _Eugh, now I’m getting sentimental with noodles hanging from my mouth… Sluuuuuuuurp._ ****

“You’re inhaling that,” Chan says as matter of fact. Jisung just points his chopsticks at him as if to agree. _Point, point, point, yes, yes, yes I am._ “Eat slower, you’re going to give yourself a stomach ache.” ****

“Here,” Jisung says, picking up the empty mussel shell and placing it over Chan’s still untouched jjajangmyeon. “A gift.” ****

“Speech, speech,” Changbin chants, mouth stuffed with noodles. ****

“Ooooh!” Jisung exclaims as he smacks his lips. “Shit’s spicy…” ****

“Oh, lemme try,” Chan goes, leaning forward when Jisung picks up one single noodle. “Please give me some more, that’s just sad…” ****

“Eat it,” Jisung says very seriously. ****

“Gimme more!” Chan whines, and Jisung grins a little before lowering his chopsticks to grab a couple more noodles at once. “Thankshhhh--” _Slorp._ “Nice.” ****

“H’wah’ass,” Changbin says, if you can call it that, mouth still full of noodles. ****

 _“Hwasa’s ass?”_ Jisung says in English as he blinks over. ****

“Shash!” Changbin defends in a whine, before swallowing with obvious effort, eyes going a little wide before he hits himself on the chest. “Oh, god, I just almost died. How was _class_ ? Is what I meant.” ****

“Ah--” Jisung frowns and looks down at the red broth in his bowl. “Boring? Terrible. A waste of time. Can’t believe I’ll have to do another four years of this.” ****

Changbin nods. “That’s what I said,” he says, looking to Chan. “Isn’t that exactly what I said he’d say?” ****

“Mhm,” Chan agrees mid slurping some black bean noodles. “Yesh.” ****

“We missed you,” Changbin pouts. ****

“I was gone for six hours!” Jisung whines. “Well… a couple more than six hours, considering I had to sleep at a normal person’s schedule.” ****

“Sex hours,” Changbin nods before giggling like a school kid. ****

Jisung rolls his eyes. “Ugh…” He shivers, then. “Speaking of which--I hate Biostatistics. Basically, all we did today was get an introduction to most of our subjects and… ew, ew, ew! Thankfully I only have a semester of that.” ****

“Biostatistics?” Changbin asks as he quirks an eyebrow. “Like… statistics about Biology…?” ****

“Yeah, medicine and shit…” Jisung mumbles. _Sluuuuurp, wah, so spicy..._ ****

“I thought you were studying math?” ****

“I am!” Jisung says and then chokes. Choking on spicy food is _terrible_ to say the least. _Wheeze…_ ****

“Sad, that he spent his last day alive in Biostatistics,” Changbin sighs, scooting over a glass of water, which Jisung picks up and drinks in one go. ****

“Ugh,” he goes, putting the glass down. “Look--” He places his chopsticks over the table and reaches for his backpack to search for his notebook. “I’ll show you. We did some mock problems and… Ugh--” _I’m too sleepy to have any other type of vocabulary, ‘ugh’ will have to do._ “It was like--” Jisung pulls out his notebook and glances at it for a second before doing a double take. “Wait.” ****

Chan glances up, both eyebrows raised. “What…?”

Jisung just… gapes at his notebook. Which… isn’t _his_ notebook. “Fucking--HELL!”

* * *

**Hyunjin**

On one knee, head down, Hyunjin trails his fingers in a crescent in front of him. He grabs his own wrist, pushing up his shirt to his elbow in one quick movement, before unravelling himself smoothly onto the floor. He stays there and stares at the ceiling while ‘when the party’s over’ keeps playing on the speakers, softly and on repeat, as it has for a while now. He loves how it feels when he dances; he loves how it feels to project his feelings into movements and he even loves the slight, gratifying ache in his muscles afterwards.

He wishes everything came to him as naturally as dancing does… He wishes he didn’t have to stress about studying, didn’t have to waste time wrapping his head around concepts that he doesn’t want to dedicate himself to. He wishes he wasn’t so petty about it, either. After all, upon realising that he packed the wrong notebook yesterday, his first reaction was to blame the full-cheeked sleepy idiot who had distracted him enough to make that mistake. Still, Hyunjin has the notebook in his bag, just in case he passes that idiot in the hallways and has the opportunity to use it as a projectile weapon.

Seungmin asked to meet up on campus, so Hyunjin peels himself off the floor to get himself moving in that general direction. So far? College is oddly fun. It’s different, and everyone seems so much _weirder_ now that they’re out of school and can dress and say basically whatever they want. Hyunjin had been a little worried that his long-ish blonde hair would get him stared at and judged, but all it took was that first girl from his first class to show up with bright pink hair to set Hyunjin at ease. Besides, if his hair didn’t look good, it would have come up in one of Hyunjin’s photoshoots.

He puts on his shoes, a headband and ties up half his hair before he gets on his way to the cafeteria on campus where Seungmin had asked to meet. He takes the same bus he takes every morning, scrolling through his Spotify recommendations as he melts on the seat. He wants _new_ music, but he always struggles so much to find it! Why is it so hard to find new music?! _Ugh…_

Once Hyunjin is off the bus and walking to the cafeteria, he glances around at all the food; sandwiches and ramens, and wonders if he’ll eventually try all of it. So far, he just keeps going back to that goddamn coffee shop with the heavenly Americanos, but familiarity is a big thing, apparently, so maybe that’s why; knowing that what he is going to get is worth what he’s paying is easier on the nerves.

Familiarity VS new experiences. Honestly, Hyunjin isn’t always sure where to draw the line. Especially because he was so on edge yesterday that he held a stranger to an unfair standard, acted in a way he later regretted a little. Does he know Han Jisung? No, but apparently he remembers his name, which is low key annoying… He doesn’t know Jisung, so it’s very easy to imagine that he was tired for valid reasons that Hyunjin can’t exactly judge. _Should I say sorry to the dude when I see him again..?_ Eh… He doesn’t want to go into his university career knowing there’s someone out there who dislikes him, so maybe he will apologize.

Although, maybe some people just exist to be disliked… And if it’s no longer a matter of someone disliking Hyunjin, it’s a matter of Hyunjin disliking someone.

“YAH!” someone shouts. And when Hyunjin turns around after getting soul-shattering startled, he sees no one other than Han Jisung stomping towards him. He looks different today. For one, Hyunjin can actually see his fluffy dark brown hair, which has been styled away from his face. And then there’s the fact that his sweatpants are really cool, black and with zippers and pockets added to them like patchwork. _And why is his black button up so… unbuttoned? This is a school! Nevermind, it’s just a low cut--stop looking, Hwang Hyunjin, Jesus Christ_. “You stole my notebook!”

Hyunjin blinks, still recovering from his startle and now high-key aware that everyone in the cafeteria is looking at either of them. He immediately frowns, though, because _what the hell is your problem?!_ “You stole mine!”

“What?!” Jisung sort of pipes, taking a step back and raising an eyebrow. _Is that an eyebrow piercing?_ “No, _nonono,”_ he lifts a hand to wave it dismissively. “You packed up before I did! You were the one who stole _my_ notebook and I just took yours because it was on the table and I thought it was mine!”

“It’s because _you_ were being distracting!” _What?_

Jisung makes a face and then shakes his head. “What?!”

“Ugh, here,” Hyunjin grumbles, bringing his backpack forward to search for the damn notebook. He walks closer to do so and when he looks up, he snorts a small laugh. _Oh, he’s tiny_.

“I feel like you just thought something really condescending, like, _just about now,”_ Jisung hisses, taking the notebook off of Hyunjin’s hands the moment he pulls it out.

“You’re not allowed to judge my thoughts,” Hyunjin says, wiggling his fingers a little once the notebook gets yanked away. _Ow…?_

“Huh,” Jisung scoffs, turning away just a little and away from Hyunjin just to flip through his notebook. _Does he think I drew things on it or something… What?_

“Dude, you barely took notes, what do you think I did? Drew a dick in the margins?”

Jisung smacks his notebook closed and then shrugs off one of the straps of his backpack to pull it closer. “Is that even something you can do?” He peeks over. “You look like… I don’t know. Nevermind.”

“See, now _you_ just thought something condescending,” Hyunjin points out. Jisung doesn’t reply to that despite the obvious frown and grumbly pout he’s wearing as he forcefully shoves his notebook into his bag. But Hyunjin notes how red Jisung’s ears get by the second. And Hyunjin’s ears go a little red, too, when he remembers _what_ his own notebook looks like. Which is exactly what he finds himself staring at once Jisung brings out the damn thing; hardcover black with Blackpink’s signatures in pink at the front.

“There…” Jisung says rather softly, Hyunjin quickly reaching out to take the notebook before Jisung can comment on it.

“Anything else?” Hyunjin asks, out of… courtesy? Maybe. All he knows is he’s hugging his notebook, for some reason.

“Huh?” Jisung blinks up and down. “No…?” he says, suddenly looking confused as he shoves his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants. “Not at all…”

Why is the same idiot who yelled ‘YAH’ so loudly in the middle of a cafeteria suddenly acting so shy, what the hell? “See you in class,” Hyunjin grumbles with all the politeness his parents worked into him, turning on his heel to walk away. There are _still_ people looking at them, _aaah_! 

And before he manages to turn out of sight, he glances back just for a moment and sees that Jisung is still just… standing there, looking dejected.

_Nobody won in that interaction, did they?_

* * *

**Jisung**

“I’m not rapping ‘girl’,” Changbin says, eyes on Chan’s lyrics. “It’s the dumbest filler word in the history of lyrics.”

“It’s _devushka,”_ Jisung scoffs, pushing the half eaten cheesecake away from them so it won’t distract them again. They only ordered the thing because they needed a table and the coffee shop was empty. If they’re going to work on a song in broad daylight and in public, Jisung requires the nearest vicinity to be empty of people. “What’s wrong with rapping ‘girl’?”

“ _Gorl_ ,” Changbin mocks, grinning a little as he adjusts the earphone Jisung can’t even see under that hoodie.

“Devushka is a lot easier to say than molodoy chelovek, dude,” Jisung laughs.

“God, I love rapping Russian words, though. Those consonants go so damn _hard_ . Matrrrrr--” he starts ‘grrrr’ing for some reason. It makes Jisung shiver. “Yosh _ka_. Good shit.”

“I’m still mad that Chan can’t go,” Jisung mumbles.

“Hm,” Changbin agrees, before looking up at Jisung with a full cheeked smile. “We work great off each other, though. And with only the two of us, we can make the raps a lot tighter. Don’t be _maaaad_ , Sungiiiiie~”

Jisung narrows his eyes. “I’ll tell Chan you’re being a snake behind his back.”

“I’m a Leo,” Changbin says like that’s the rational response.

“Whatever that means,” Jisung scoffs. “Lion cub.”

“Roar,” Changbin deadpans. “Now are you going to help me or not?”

“Yes, yes, _yeees,”_ Jisung ends up singing. He brings out his notebook and flips it open on a blank page. “Alright, let’s split this and make it cool.”

Changbin nods, and they work. It’s always a little chaotic, while also being weirdly methodical. Changbin raps under his breath before simply pointing at Jisung to continue his rap without even a breath between their words. Hopefully, Chan will be a sweetheart and edit the song for them. Nothing much, just a few tweeks. 

“Okay, so I’m thinking you should start it off,” Changbin says, making tons of little scribbles on the notebook covered in lyrics. “Your ad libs are great, too, so don’t hold back. Throw a high note in there if you really wanna screw with them,” he laughs softly. “Don’t look at me like that, I know you can do it.”

Jisung just makes a funny face and looks back down to the notebook. When they turn the page, though, they come across a bunch of scribbles for something else, and Jisung nearly loses his mind. “Ooooooh! Hellevator! Remember?!”

Changbin blinks over, mouth in an ‘o’. “Ooooh, shit, yeah. What ever happened to producing this properly?”

“Dunno, ask _Christopher.”_

“ _Christopher_ kept trying to choreograph the damn thing,” Changbin laughs, leaning in to look at the page properly.

“Heh, yeah, I’m no Kpop star,” Jisung scoffs, frowning when he remembers that stupid black notebook with Blackpink’s signatures in pink on it. _So, he’s a Blink, huh? Cute._

“I think he wanted to put it on Youtube and choreos always get more attention than just plain audios or recordings or whatever,” Changbin mumbles, before rapping one of Hellevator’s verses under his breath, nodding along.

Jisung shrugs. “Just record my face rapping, I’m sure that’ll get us the numbers.”

Changbin laughs. “Or maybe I’ll just _grrrr_ \--” he starts, leaning obnoxiously closer to Jisung’s ear.

“Oh--Oh, no,” Jisung dramatizes as he shivers, “No, no, no, that’s too much.” _Seriously, why does this give me so many chills…? Is Changbin that good?!_

Changbin giggles and leans away, attention back to the notebook as someone walks into the coffee shop. Jisung scratches at the back of his neck as he tries to focus once again. It’s a rap battle. They have to do well. Well enough to win something, although that will depend on the amount of votes they get. _Maybe if I start doing well enough at this, I won’t have to stay in college…_

When Changbin asks Jisung to bounce off of him after mumbling a couple of lines to himself, though, Jisung’s instincts kick in and he feels himself become a little smaller where he sits. He glances at the counter where he can see someone ordering something, and then does a double take when he realizes who it is. _No way… IS HE FOLLOWING ME?!_

Jisung immediately leans back in his chair to frown at his long haired blonde classmate, which seems to get Changbin’s attention because now Jisung isn’t focusing at all.

“Earth to Jisung?” Changbin asks, before following his line of sight. “Ooooh, who’s _that_?”

“IRL Daimon Hellstrom, the Son of Satan,” Jisung grumbles. 

Changbin makes a face. “ _What?_ ”

“He’s the dude who stole my notebook,” Jisung mumbles, glaring a little and looking away the moment the guy turns away from the counter with a smile on his face.

“Did he write his number in it?”

“What?” 

“He’s like--” Changbin gestures, unabashedly, like the extrovert he is. “Hot.”

Jisung sticks out his tongue but still glances over at the guy as he passes by. _Hot, huh? Well, he’s definitely pretty, which is a waste on someone like him._ “He acts like the world owes him something just ‘cause he’s pretty,” Jisung mumbles, looking back to his notebook. _What is he even_ doing _here?! I hate coincidences, universe!_

“Aw,” Changbin pouts, looking honestly disappointed. “Now I’m just sad.”

Jisung sighs and rolls his eyes as he leans forward and over the table. “Come on. Let’s finish this so we can go home and bother Chan to play some Minecraft with us.”

* * *

**Hyunjin**

Hyunjin is one of the last students to arrive for the class, and it’s to his own mild horror that he realises everyone has, unanimously and nonverbally, agreed to keep the seats they claimed on their first day. There is a sort of… angry kitten energy oozing off the table he’s supposed to sit at, and Jisung isn’t even looking at him _yet._ Hyunjin takes a small breath and pinches at the bridge of his nose ( _be calm, be civil, be nice_ ) before walking closer and sitting down. 

Firstly, the dude doesn’t smell like ‘sleep’, the way he did on their first day. Secondly, he’s still wearing what looks like a piercing, and thirdly, there’s a random tuft of hair poking up from his head. It’s frustrating. _Ugh, why am I like this?!_

“Hey,” he greets, because that’s what people do, that’s how they _interact_. They don’t greet each other with loud ‘YAHS’ yelled across cafeterias.

Jisung shifts, crossing his arms under his chin a little tighter and leaning further against the table. “Hey…” he greets back rather curtly. 

_I fucking TRIED_.

Hyunjin takes out his textbook and his notebook, quickly opening the notebook to a blank page and tapping it with his pen. He smiles a little at a stray thought, then, glancing over to the guy next to him, before pulling the notebook closer and drawing a crude, taught-in-elementary school dick. He even adds some hair to the balls, although that makes the dick look like a cactus, and then a slit and a smiley face. _Beautiful_ . He leans back, nods as he accepts his art for what it is, and then moves the notebook to the middle of the table. _Look at it. Behold my peen_.

Jisung doesn’t budge. Not for a couple of seconds, at least. But then curiosity seems to take the better of him and he glances over, snorting before he manages to control himself. He looks away, but Hyunjin notes the little smile that doesn’t go away. And, once the teacher walks in, Jisung simply picks up his own pencil and tugs the notebook closer to draw something on it; it’s a dick, too, but it looks like it’s sitting, the way a cat does. So of course Hyunjin steals the notebook once Jisung is done drawing and turns the dick drawing into a cat. Jisung actually seems rather impressed, what with the way his eyebrows arch.

Is this what a truce feels like? 

They spend the rest of the class in silence. Hyunjin takes his notes, Jisung just keeps his arms crossed and listens to the teacher talk. Once it’s time to pack up and leave, though, Jisung stands up first and picks up his things to leave like he’s in a hurry. But he doesn’t go without dropping a piece of paper over Hyunjin’s back. It’s the drawing of a Llama that looks rather penile but is overall cute, next to the single letter ‘U’.

And of course, because Hyunjin is oddly sentimental like that, he keeps the drawing and shows it to his very unimpressed friend, Minho, later on when they meet at the dance studio.

“It looks like you’re flirting,” he says very seriously as he stretches.

Hyunjin pouts and puts the drawing away, safely between the pages of his notebook, before settling down to stretch as well. “He hates my guts and drew me as a penis llama, how is that flirting?”

“Maybe he’s the pulling pigtails type?”

Hyunjin glances at the mirror and sees his ponytail. _Ironic_. “That’s just you, Minho. By your logic, you flirt with me every day.”

Minho shrugs and looks down as he stretches onto his other side. “Maybe I do. But it’s not like I mean any of it. What was this guy’s name, anyway?”

“You’re _assuming_ I even remember,” Hyunjin says, but pauses and sighs. “Han Jisung.”

“You usually only memorize the names of two types of people; the ones you love and the ones you hate. I’m assuming he falls weirdly in-between…?”

Hyunjin reaches down to stretch, cheek to his knee as he gives Minho his most unimpressed expression. “It’s a good name, alright.” _You don’t meet many Hans_.

“I agree,” Minho says as he lifts his arms to stretch and then lets himself fall back on the floor like he just lost all his energy. “Is he hot?”

“No, he’s stupid,” Hyunjin says without thinking about it. Thinking about it could change his mind and that’s just not acceptable. “He has like… big cheeks and a lot of hair and he’s, like, tiny.” Not that ‘tiny’ is a bad thing, but if it gets Minho off his back...

“Sounds like big dick energy to me,” Minho sighs before sitting up again. “Anyway… Keep me updated. I ship it already,” he mumbles with the most uninterested expression ever.

Hyunjin rolls his eyes, relaxing in the stretch. Just Minho saying that makes him want to hypothetically reject the guy, no matter how hot he _might_ be, out of _spite_.

* * *

**Jisung**

Another week, another stupid morning class, two more hours of sitting through Statistics with a pretty boy Jisung now realizes he doesn’t know the name of. In a way, he doesn’t really care enough to ask, but it’s getting difficult and a little old to address the dude as ‘that guy’ or ‘that idiot’ or ‘that asshole’ inside his head whenever he wants to grumble to himself.

“What’s your name?” Jisung asks, then, about forty five minutes into a lecture about numbers. _This is just revision, isn’t it? Probability definitions and properties, that’s… last year. And the year before. And the one before that one..._ Wait. _I’m onto something here..._

The guy stops tapping at his lips with his pen to look over and blink. “Hwang Hyunjin,” he says, raising his hand before looking at it funny and putting it back down. _Was he going for a handshake…?_

“I’m Han Jisung.”

“I know.”

Jisung blinks at the teacher at the front. _Nice shirt--Wait. Why am I distracting myself from the fact that--_ “You know, huh?” he questions, glancing over. _I can’t tell if I’m happy or angry about that._

Hyunjin raises an amused eyebrow and points at the front with his pen. “Professor Kim asked you on your first day. It’s a good name, so I remembered it.”

Jisung straightens up just a bit. _A good name…? Huh._ “Thanks.”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t get smug,” Hyunjin smiles, looking away to the front. Jisung lowers his chin to his arms but keeps his eyes on the guy. He doesn’t think too much about the fact that he's suddenly just… watching this person take notes. It’s not _creepy,_ it’s just… curiosity.

Eventually, when the teacher is explaining something about Exhaustive Outcomes ( _mood_ ), the girl at the table in front of them turns around to ask Hyunjin for a rubber. Jisung watches the entire interaction and registers how the girl gives Hyunjin lowkey double takes. Is this something that happens a lot to conventionally beautiful people? _Wait. What?!_

A couple of minutes later, the girl turns around again, probably to ask for Hyunjin’s rubber, but Jisung hands over his own and smiles politely at her when she gives him a look. _What? Not good enough for you?_

“I think she hates me now,” Jisung whispers when the girl turns to the front again.

“Rubbed her the wrong way,” Hyunjin whispers back with a nod. And Jisung snorts and lowers his head into his arms. _Goddamn it._

“I guess I just don’t have ‘pretty’ benefits,” he mumbles.

“What was that?”

“I said that probability is defined by range, sure thing and sigma additivity.”

“Uh huh,” Hyunjin goes, apparently not entirely convinced.

When the class ends, the girl gives Jisung back his rubber and everyone packs to leave. Hyunjin’s Blackpink notebook with all of Blackpink’s signatures in pink catches Jisung’s eye, so he reaches over mid pulling his backpack over his shoulder and pokes Lisa’s name. Hyunjin looks over, clearly a bit confused, before pulling the notebook closer to his chest like Jisung is about to snatch it and run. It’s kind of cute. ‘ _No_.’

Jisung laughs softly and says, “Lalisa,” as he turns around to walk away. “She’s cool!” Jisung doesn’t hear Hyunjin reply, but when he glances back, the guy is still looking at him, now with a small pout.

* * *

**Hyunjin**

“It’s chocolate chip,” Felix chirps, shaking a container full of cookies at Hyunjin’s face. It smells like if heaven was a bakery. So of course, Minho and Hyunjin descend upon it like starved vultures.

“You’re going to open the world’s first Dance Studio Bakery,” Hyunjin says, hand over his mouth so none of the cookies can escape while he eats it. This is literally the best thing he’s ever eaten, what the _hell_.

“Why not?” Minho says, not caring to close his mouth while he eats. “People dance, waste energy and then get cookies as replenishment.”

“Or just constantly ask for your hand in marriage,” Hyunjin nods, brain still processing the pure _flavour_.

“Over cookies?” Minho asks, seemingly genuine.

“There have been marriages done for less,” Hyunjin scoffs, as Felix just stands there and blushes. Minho is just looking more and more amused the more he looks between them.

“They’d have to ask really, really nicely,” Felix smiles, stuffing another cookie into Minho’s hand. “But thanks, compliment taken.”

“Can I get a cookie, too?” Sua asks as she peeks over Felix’s shoulder. Felix smiles brightly like the prospect of feeding the entire dance studio is his reason for living. “Ooooh! They look nice!”

“Your first suitor,” Hyunjin jokes, winking over. Felix offers Sua the tupperware and she takes a handful, and if Felix minds, he doesn’t show it. 

“Of many,” Felix smiles, patting at Sua’s head. “Are you busy this Friday?”

Sua blinks. “Wait, you’re actually asking me out on a _date?_ ” she gapes and Felix laughs.

“A party, and all of you--” Felix gestures from Sua past Minho to Hyunjin. “Are my dates!”

Minho raises an eyebrow. “Well, that took a turn. I’m oddly touched. What party? Where are we going?”

“A friend of mine’s house,” Felix nods. “Chan. I must have mentioned him before.”

“Oh, the fellow Australian?” Hyunjin asks and Felix nods. “Sure, I’ll be there,” he smiles, trying to hide his giddy excitement at _being invited to a party by a friend I only made recently, eeeep!_

“Will there be cookies?” Sua asks with a pout, hanging off of Felix like he’s furniture. They’re both so tiny, Hyunjin is surprised they don’t both sink to the floor.

“Yeah, I can make cookies,” Felix nods.

“ _Special_ cookies?” Sua grins, and Hyunjin makes a slight face. What’s… special cookies?

“You’re a greedy woman?” Minho says like he’s offended in Felix’s stead. “Aren’t normal cookies enough for you?”

“Well, you’ve clearly never had special cookies,” Sua laughs, letting go of Felix with a loud kiss to his cheek. “Send me the address, _mate_ , I’ll bring my own. Plus booze, obviously.”

Minho gives Hyunjin a look. “Let’s just hope we don’t get arrested for this. Some people are still very much underaged,” he says.

Hyunjin stops chewing to pale a little. “She was… joking, right? She had to be joking.” _I can’t get arrested! My parents would lose their minds! --Wait. I'm of age, aren't I?_ “Felix is _Australian_ , they can drink once they’re eighteen.”

“Unfortunately, this isn’t Australia,” Minho scoffs.

“Let’s hope the Australians remember that, then.”

* * *

**Jisung**

“But is it, like, _spooky?”_ Jisung asks as he looks over Changbin’s shoulder to peek at what the group is watching on his phone. Chan will be away for two months so he organized a party at their place and invited a bunch of people (most of which Jisung has never even heard of). So far, there’s Felix (which Jisung was already acquainted with), Changbin, Minho (a strange, unknown fella), Sua and Siyeon ( _no idea who they are, but they seem cool)_ and Seungmin ( _vibes wise, probably the nicest person present in this flat)_ . Not everyone has arrived yet, though, so they haven’t really started binging the series that Minho suggested they should watch. “Oh, that looks spooky…” Jisung mumbles, shrinking a little at the noises he hears coming from Changbin’s phone. _Yeah, not looking anymore._ ****

“I hate _dolls_ ,” Chan says with a little shiver. “It’s that uncanny valley shit, you know? When something looks human but it isn’t.” ****

“Ever think about how the Uncanny Valley response is such a big part in our evolution that there must have been something human but _not_ human that we had to learn to recognise to survive?” Changbin asks, grinning over at a now horrified looking Chan. ****

“What are you people even talking about…” Jisung mutters in discomfort. ****

“The things that go bump in the night,” Changbin cackles, sinking down with his phone close to his nose, even as the _noises_ continue. ****

“Wish I was going bump in the night,” Chan grumbles, glancing at the front door. The place is nicely decorated for the party; little lights and tables filled to the brim with drinks (non-alcoholic, because they are law-abiding good boys and girls) and snacks. ****

“Kids always make horror shows more wacky, somehow,” Sua offers as she leans away and then twirls until she drops onto the couch. “If they’re good actors.” ****

“It’s the juxtaposition of their innocence with the horrors of… horror,” Chan says. “That sentence started well.” ****

“Woah, wait--” Changbin points at his phone. “She fucking shushed the ghost!” ****

“Great, innit?” Minho grins over. ****

“Should have known you’d like spooky shit,” Changbin laughs, and then nearly jumps out of his own shoes when the doorbell rings, Chan barking a laugh at him while Minho just watches Changbin in even more amusement. Chan needs to go open the damn door, but he’s nearly on the floor with his laughter, pointing at Changbin’s face before cracking again. ****

“I’ll get it!” Siyeon says as she lifts her hand and turns away from the group to walk up to the front door. Jisung is looking at her for some reason, (it probably has something to do with how mesmerizing her bobbed blue haircut is) so he totally sees the two people she opens the door to, one of which he definitely, _definitely_ knows. ****

_Hwang Hyunjin._ ****

The other guy quickly introduces himself as Jeongin. ****

Well, now the universe is definitely mocking Jisung. Why? Well, he can’t really tell. But… it’s unsettling in a way he can’t quite pin down. It’s twisting his mood and making him angry. _Again…_ ****

_Ugh, I need therapy, don’t I…?_ ****

“Hello!” Hyunjin greets brightly, looking dressed up despite just being in a white t-shirt, jeans and a bucket hat. It’s the brands… Brands make everything look fancier… “I brought food,” he says, holding out the two plastic bags filled with white containers. “Sorry if that’s… wrong.” ****

“Nope, definitely not wrong,” Siyeon chirps, taking a couple of bags and turning around with them in both hands. “Come in, come in. It’s not my house but we can pretend it is!” ****

Jisung immediately stiffens, looking away and holding tighter at his can of Chilsung Cider. He feels like a lamppost in the middle of a cold night, just sort of… standing there and frowning at a wall. He lowers his head when the others walk closer and everyone begins shaking hands and bowing heads. Jisung doesn’t know what’s with the sudden drop in energy but… well, at least his hair is covering the way he’s glaring at the floor. ****

When it’s his turn to greet the new arrivals, Jisung lifts his head just to purse his lips in a thin smile and wave small with his free hand. He kind of has to ignore the look of surprise on Hyunjin’s face when their eyes finally meet. _One coincidence? Fine. Two? Eh. But three? No._ ****

_Wait. Three?_ ****

“Oh, hey,” Hyunjin smiles, blinking around for a second. “You should... dress like this more often,” he seems to decide to say, then, with a nod. “Looks nice.” ****

Jisung blinks at the whiplash he suddenly feels. Is he angry? Is he flustered? _WHAT IS THIS?!_ “Thanks…” he says, mostly just to himself. Thankfully, Hyunjin is close enough to hear him. “I’d… offer you the same compliment but you look nice in literally everything--” _Shut the fuck up._ ****

Hyunjin laughs softly in amused confusion, reaching back to palm at his neck. “Uhm. Thanks? I didn’t, uhm, know you knew Minho and Felix…” ****

 _Whatever._ “I only met Minho today,” Jisung mumbles, looking to the side when Siyeon passes by and he has to make way for her. “I knew Felix through--” Jisung points at Chan with the hand holding the can of Chilsung Cider, “Bang Chan. We’re in the same--” _If he makes fun of me or looks at me in any way sort of condescending, he will be my sworn enemy for life._ “Rap group.” ****

“ _Wah,_ you rap?” Hyunjin asks in a slight gape, with… absolutely no judgement or any sort of condescending. _Ugh, why can’t you make this easy for me?!_ ****

“Yes,” Jisung says as he straightens up just a little and tries to shove his free hand into the nonexistent pocket of his denim jacket. _Fuck. My. Life. That was so uncool._ He wiggles his hand as he tries to make it all seem very, _very_ planned. “Yeah.” ****

Hyunjin laughs-- _oh, he totally noticed that, the ass--_ and smiles teasingly. “You any good?” ****

Jisung scoffs and glances over. “Come see us next week and make your own judgements.” ****

Hyunjin raises a single eyebrow, like a challenge. “Oh. Sure. If you come to my dance showcase the week after that.” ****

Jisung raises both eyebrows and looks Hyunjin up and down. “You dance?” ****

“It’s where I know Felix from, yeah.” ****

“Didn’t take you for a dancer. _You any good?”_ ****

Hyunjin laughs, shrugging as he puts his hands in the pockets he clearly actually _has_ . “Better than good.” ****

“Why does it sound like the two of you just put out your dicks and rulers for measurements?” Minho asks all of a sudden, making Jisung screech like he’s in a horror movie. _WAS HE HERE ALL ALONG?!_ ****

“That’s what they’ll be judging for themselves in _three_ weeks,” Changbin grins. ****

“Yah,” Jisung warns, ignoring the way his ears are burning and giving Changbin a look. ****

“I’ll go, er,” Hyunjin says, pointing backwards. “Help. Kitchen. Yeah,” he says, smoothly turning himself around on the heel and practically running to the kitchen. Minho gives Jisung an amused look and then turns to follow after Hyunjin while Changbin watches them go with a low whistle. ****

“What?” Jisung asks, taking a sip of the Chilsung Cider that he hasn’t miraculously spilled all over the place. ****

“What _what?”_ Changbin asks back, smiling innocently. Jisung frowns at him and then just opts to ignore him. _Idiot._

* * *

**Hyunjin**

“I don’t get paid well enough for this but,” Minho huffs as he leans against the counter, tilting himself over it to peek at Hyunjin’s face. “Notebook guy?”

Hyunjin feels the need to glare up a little, before he looks down to keep moving small kimbaps onto a big plate. “Yeah, what about it.”

Minho glances back towards the door and then looks at Hyunjin again. “Tiny, huh?” he suggests. And then scoffs. “Then again… There’s Changbin…”

“You are _barely_ taller than either of them,” Hyunjin says.

“Still counts.”

“Sure it does,” Hyunjin says and then sighs a little, scratching at his forehead. _I didn’t know he’d be heeeere, ugh… Why does that even bother me?!_

“Does he…” Minho trials off, carefully glancing over and then turning towards the counter to cross his arms over it and look up. “I mean…”

Hyunjin frowns up. “Huh? Does he what?”

“Nevermind,” Minho huffs, leaning away and looking at the small kimbaps. “Oh.” He reaches for one and shoves it whole in his mouth. “Nishee,” he nods, giving Hyunjin a thumbs up. Hyunjin smiles and shakes his head.

“Don’t worry, I won’t let--” Hyunjin gestures vaguely. “Whatever… This is, get in the way of a nice party.

Minho blinks up and waits for a second or two before asking, “Why would it get in the way?”

“No idea, but getting into a screaming match would certainly damper the mood, no?”

“He’s that volatile, is he…?” Minho scoffs.

“No…?” Hyunjin groans. “I don’t know! Maybe I’m the volatile one. But I swear, the one moment we’re joking around and the next he’s looking at me like I’m about to step on a landmine.”

“That sounds entertaining…”

“Ha ha,” Hyunjin goes, picking up another kimbap and stuffing it into Minho’s mouth. He doesn’t complain in the slightest. “He’s… cute, though, I’ll admit that,” Hyunjin mumbles while Minho can’t talk back. 

“Oh!” a girl suddenly says. Hyunjin startles and Minho just looks around very slowly like he expected her to be there all along. “Those look cute!” Sua chirps, reaching over to take the plate and then quickly turning around to take it into the living room. “Thanks for the help, Hyunjin!”

“You’re welcome,” Hyunjin blinks, quickly looking over at Minho to glare. “Say nothing.”

In the living room, people have already accommodated to their specific places. Some are on the floor, others squished like canned sardines on the couch. The small coffee table is full of snacks and drinks and… Well, much to Hyunjin’s displeasure, his eyes lock onto the only person, besides him and Minho, who’s still standing up, busy grinning at Changbin while poking him with his socked foot.

“You’re gonna scream like a little girl,” Jisung teases, quickly crouching when Changbin slaps his foot away. “Like a little _girl,”_ Jisung whispers aggressively over Changbin’s shoulder, making the guy shrug like an ominous wind just tickled his neck. Hyunjin smiles to himself and finds a place to sit on the floor by the coffee table.

“ _STOP IT!_ ” Changbin screams (like a little girl), and Hyunjin can’t help but laugh along with the group.

Jisung sits nearby, but closer to the TV than the rest of them. Everything is fine at first, and they keep rewinding whenever someone screams ‘GHOST!’ after apparently having spotted one in the background of a scene. Minho mostly laughs and eats, and seems particularly amused by Changbin’s whiny reactions. As for Jisung, the more Changbin whines next to him, the more vocal and loud he gets. Hyunjin is just… trying really hard not to startle too badly.

They go through episodes pretty easily. There are a few jumpscares that make Changbin yell like he’s about to start crying but Jisung just holds onto him and laughs the way people do when they’re scared or nervous. ‘The Haunting of Bly Manor’, that’s the show’s name. It’s really good, even if it has Hyunjin so nervous he has to take his hat off so he won’t sweat himself a helmet. Hopefully, they’ll be able to gather, all of them, once more in the near future, to finish the show.

“Has anyone here watched the other one?” Felix asks between an episode and then next. “‘The Haunting of Hillhouse’...? ‘Cause if not then we should do this again sometime and watch that one.”

“There’s another one?!” Changbin squeaks, smiling in the most scared way a person can smile.

“Yeah, it has a lot more jumpscares, though,” Chan grins. “Up for it?”

Changbin shakes his head but Jisung clings to him and pats his head. “It’s okay,” Jisung says, “I’ll hold him.”

Hyunjin smiles over softly, before he hears himself scream and feels himself jump as a door in the house slams shut. 

“SUA!” Siyeon screams in an accusatory tone, and Hyunjin has his hand pressed to his chest, feeling the way his heart wants to beat itself out of it. Sua cackles from the hallway, and Hyunjin stares with wide eyes at the floor. _Oh, god, this is how I die._

“Do you need to be held, too, dude?” Changbin asks from where he’s completely leaning into Jisung’s hold. “There’s some space here, I think.”

“What?” Jisung asks, looking down at Changbin and seeing only hair, most likely. Hyunjin tries to not be entirely offended, even as he shakes his head and laughs softly.

“No, no, no, I’m fine, just--” he plops to the side and laughs. “Dead. Bee ar bee.”

“Oh, he dead,” Changbin jokes. “Jisung, poke him with your foot. The smell will revive him instantly.”

“What the hell is _wrong_ with you!” Jisung laughs, shoving Changbin away. Hyunjin ‘ _oofs’_ when the weight falls on him instead.

“Oh, hey there,” Changbin grins and Hyunjin squeaks, ears going red. _There are too many! Boys! Here!_

“Changbin, please,” Chan laughs. “Not everyone can match your gay energy.”

_His what energy?!_

Hyunjin covers his face with his hands and lies there, waiting for actual death.

“His what?” Minho asks like he just got pulled into the conversation like a magnet attracted to the word ‘gay’.

Hyunjin peeks to see Changbin getting off of him and raising a hand. “One gay, ready and accounted for. If that bothers you, the door is there,” he says, pointing at said door.

“This is my house,” Chan laughs. “But yes, what he said.”

“It’s my house, too,” Jisung scoffs.

“And mine,” Changbin nods. “I bought the coffee machine.”

“I’m not bothered, just suddenly interested,” Minho says.

“In men?” Sua laughs.

“I wouldn’t say that’s sudden but…” Minho mumbles, looking up.

Hyunjin doesn’t know what to do with himself, so he just lies there in his shame. _I should… say something, right? This is a safe space, right?_

And yet, no words come out, and neither does he. 

_… Coward._

“ _Anygay,_ ” Felix goes. “Another episode or do we need to give Jinnie a minute?”

“I’m ga-- _Fine!_ I’m fine,” Hyunjin squeaks. 

“That you are,” Sua jokes. “A fine, fine man-- _Ow!”_ She laughs when Siyeon hits her.

“Do I need to give everyone a minute for _that_ , now?” Felix asks. “Just go around in a circle and flirt with my attractive friend, is that what you want?”

“Jealous?” Minho asks as he glances up at Felix, leaning back against his legs.

“It’s okay,” Seungmin says softly, reaching over to pat Felix’s shoulder. “You’re very handsome, too. Very attractive.”

“It’s the voice,” Chan nods.

“Oh, the voice,” Jeongin laughs.

“And the mullet, _obviously_ ,” Seungmin nods, and Hyunjin smiles a little from the floor as he watches Felix blush.

“Crikey, can we just go back to the show, now?” Felix flusters, and Hyunjin frowns a little when he sits up and looks at Jisung. How is it that sometimes he’s the loudest in the group, and other times he just… doesn’t say anything? It’s happened before, where Jisung has just been seemingly uncharacteristically quiet. Then again, Hyunjin doesn’t know his character. Maybe being _loud_ is uncharacteristic for him? Huh…

Right now, Jisung is just looking between the group as the conversation bounces around. There is no expression of judgement on his face but he looks rather serious as he just… watches everyone talk. And apparently Hyunjin is just watching him watch them. Like an idiot.

“If Hyunjin or Changbin faints, we can do something else,” Chan supplies. “I have Uno. And we can always use energy drinks for drinking games. See who starts vibrating first.”

“Move,” Changbin says, quite easily scooting Hyunjin closer to Jisung as he takes a seat on the opposite side. “I don’t need him clinging to me again, but you might.”

“Heh?” Hyunjin goes, ears suddenly feeling very hot. Jisung just blinks very fast like he’s finally catching up with the conversation.

“You can totally cling to me if you get scared,” Minho says to Changbin.

Changbin looks over in amused surprise, ears probably matching Hyunjin’s by how bright red they suddenly are. “Thanks..?”

“You’re welcome. But I might scare you, too, just fair warning.”

“Yeah, when you actually get to know him, it’s terrifying,” Hyunjin says.

“I meant jumpscare him, but thanks,” Minho deadpans.

“Just fair warning,” Hyunjin smiles innocently, brushing away a stray strand of his blonde hair before it gets in his eye.

Sua raises her hand. “You can totally hold me if you’re scared--”  
  
“ _Sua_ ,” Siyeon laughs, elbowing the girl again.

“Look, _I’m just saying_ ,” Sua hisses at Siyeon, rubbing at her ‘wound’. “ _You_ haven’t seen him dance.”

“I am pressing play!” Felix practically screeches.

“Thank you,” Jisung offers with a small chuckle. 

Hyunjin brings his shoulders in a little so he isn’t touching either of the boys next to him, suddenly hyper aware of it. But, eventually, as the show progresses, everyone forgets who they are or not supposed to cling to. Jisung, especially, being so close to the TV, practically catapults himself over Hyunjin and Changbin when one of the characters turns around and nearly faceplants into a ghost. Hyunjin’s heart is hammering away so he just clings to whatever is closest, face pressed against someone’s back. _Why did I agree to this?! My nerves are shot!_ _Am I shaking?!_ _Ugh!_

“Oh! Oh! Oh!” Jisung exclaims, then, hitting Hyunjin’s shoulder but reaching back to grip at Changbin’s shirt. His voice is so close that, rationally, Hyunjin is aware that Jisung is the person he’s currently clinging to, but even as he tells his arms to let go, they seem entirely locked in place and refuse the command. “Look, look! Over there! Is that--”

“It’s a _pole_ , you idiot,” Chan says as Changbin whimpers.

Jisung doesn’t seem to be aware of the fact that he’s practically sitting over Hyunjin’s lap. And even less aware of the fact that Hyunjin has his arms wrapped around his waist like a car’s middle seat seatbelt. Hyunjin pleads innocence by reason of mild insanity, and just hides his face in the man’s denim jacket, ignoring how nice it smells.

“A purposefully human shaped pole, I swear,” Siyeon scoffs.

“If the main character doesn’t go insane by the end of this, I’ll build her a shrine,” Seungmin offers.

“If the main character doesn’t kiss the gardener by the end of this, I’ll give this show one star,” Minho says.

“It’s _my_ Netflix account,” Chan laughs.

“Exactly,” Minho agrees.

“Do you think they--” Sua whispers and Hyunjin hears Siyeon go, “ _Shhhhh_.”

The episode ends on a more somber note instead of a jumpscare, thankfully, but Hyunjin’s arms are still locked around Jisung’s waist and he _can’t… move._ Why do things like this affect him so much? How are Chan and Minho just sitting there, completely unaffected?! And Hyunjin is so lame, suddenly, that he can’t even let go of someone who does nothing but confuse him and piss him off.

“Ah, this is giving me a rush,” Jisung says, fanning himself a little. Hyunjin can practically _feel_ his voice much deeper against his own chest. Hyunjin’s tiny gay soul quivers just a little, without his permission.

Changbin scoffs. “ _What_ is? Specifically.”

“The show?” Jisung scoffs, glancing over and dropping his hands. One of them falls over Hyunjin’s arm, and that seems to be the exact moment when Jisung realizes that, well, they’re… attached. Hyunjin literally feels Jisung’s entire body pause. He even stops breathing for a second there. “Wha…” Jisung twists around just enough to look at Hyunjin with confused, wide eyes and for a moment Hyunjin expects him to complain, yeet, get rude or loud or do something hurtful that isn’t entirely Jisung’s fault. Instead, though, Jisung just blinks and then looks away again, reaching for one of the leftover kimbaps and shoving it into his mouth like he’s just planning to pretend this isn’t happening at all. It’s… nice, because it gives Hyunjin time to actually calm down a little and slowly let go. “I wonder if that guy is her brother,” Jisung idly comments as he shifts from Hyunjin’s lap to the spot in front of him.

“Bet you an Americano it’s her boyfriend,” Hyunjin mumbles.

“Ew, why is he haunting her, though?” Jisung asks, turning around to look over, one cheek puffed as he munches. Hyunjin can’t help but look at it. _Hamster… Squirrel… Cheek pockets._

“It ended badly…?” he laughs, a little nervously. “I don’t know! In these shows, it’s always the boyfriends…”

“I’d also haunt my partner,” Minho offers.

“That gender neutral ‘partner’, though,” Sua scoffs with a smile. “Subtle.”

“Thanks,” Minho chirps with a proud smile.

* * *

**Jisung**

Another day, another bunch of useless classes. Jisung sits down at his usual table for another Statistics class, earphones still pounding ‘SMOKY’ by Jooheoney into his ears. He pulls his backpack over the table and faceplants into it, closing his eyes for a moment and taking a deep, quiet breath. _Tired… need sleep… And I need…_ What does he need, other than sleep? Who knows. _Ugh,_ he thinks when ‘DIA’ begins right after ‘SMOKY’ ends. _Gooooo, Jooheyoney One Honey..._

The table jostles lightly and Jisung lifts his head and turns his it to squint at Hyunjin, who just sat down and is adjusting the little ponytail at the back of his head. _A tanktop, huh? You can’t be_ that _hot._ And Jisung means that in the literal sense of the word ‘hot’, as in… here he is, wearing a hoodie, and there Hyunjin is, in black sweatpants and a random white tanktop.

“Good morning,” Jisung mumbles, pressing his cheek against his backpack. _Why am I still looking at this guy? Ugh._ Hyunjin says something, tapping at his own ear with a small smile and Jisung realises he can’t _hear him_ , because Jooheon is going _off_ , etc. So, Jisung pulls at the cable of one of his earphones and raises a questioning eyebrow. “What?”

“What are you listening to?” Hyunjin asks, still with that stupid smile.

“Jooheoney,” Jisung mumbles. “Know of him?”

“Duh,” he scoffs, moving closer and stealing the earphone. “Gimme.”

Jisung straightens up and crosses his arms over the table, pouting a little while ‘DIA’ finishes and then ‘PSYCHE’ starts. He glances down when Hyunjin’s arm brushes against his hoodie, and then looks away with a frown when something sparks inside his chest and he starts feeling angry. _Again. Why does this keep happening?! Why do I hate this guy?!_

“Their choreos are fun to do,” Hyunjin says, then, conversationally. “Monsta X, I mean.”

“Hm…” Jisung half-heartedly agrees. But then he frowns some more and glances over. “Are you saying that because it’s true or because you’re a noob at dancing?”

Hyunjin makes a bit of a face. “What..?”

“Well, y’know, I’ve never seen you dance.” _Oh, no, we’re fighting again._

“Well, yeah, but their dances are difficult, which makes it fun for me to master it, is what I meant,” he mumbles, handing Jisung back his earphone and sitting back. 

Jisung looks at the earphone in his palm and then closes his hand around it, looking at the white board and pouting at it. _Ugh…_ “How was… The rest of your weekend?”

“I had to sleep with my light on,” Hyunjin says, quite matter of factly. “You?”

Jisung snorts but immediately quiets down. “Ah… just fine.” Obviously, he’s not about to tell this guy, of all people, that he’s been having trouble sleeping. Especially because it has nothing to do with the stupid horror series they watched--which, by the way, was amazing. It’s just… Jisung keeps himself busy most of the time. And when he doesn’t have anything to keep busy with, his brain gets busy for him. 

Overthinking, the Queen curse of all curses.

Hyunjin narrows his eyes and looks over. “I hope you’re not judging me in that head of yours. I _trusted_ you,” he seems to joke. “We bonded and everything.”

Jisung tongues at his lower lip to find dry bits of skin to bite at. “Mhm…” he agrees, because… Well, it’s true. They did, sort of, bond. Right? Right. _But why does that make me feel all weird?_

“Alright,” Hyunjin sort of sighs, just as the teacher walks in and immediately addresses the class.

“Are yoush--” Jisung bites his lip too harshly and slams a fist down as he lowers his head. _Fuuuuuuuck! THAT HURT!_

“Mr. Han...?” the teacher questions.

“Yes!” Jisung chirps, immediately standing up like he’s a soldier and this is the Academy. “Yes! Present! Sorry!”

“Calm down, yes?” the teacher says, eyes a little wide. “Otherwise, I advise you to go outside and walk around for a bit… Maybe that’ll help.”

“I’m fine!” Jisung says but his voice breaks at ‘fine’ and he blushes bright red. There are a couple of girls giggling at the front, which doesn’t help, so he just plops down onto his chair and sighs the moment the teacher turns around with a roll of her eyes.

“Are you okay..?” Hyunjin asks in a _very_ soft whisper, like the teacher will turn around at the slightest sound.

Jisung reaches up to touch his throbbing lip and then looks at his bloodied finger. “Yeah… fine.” He sucks his lip in and glances over-- _Ah, the taste of iron._ “I was going to ask--” His eyebrow twitches when he hears the girls still giggling at the front of the class, so he turns to glare at them. “Yah, come on! It’s over!” he complains. And when they stick their tongues out at him, he makes a face at them. 

“Jisung,” Hyunjin laughs softly, apparently incredibly amused by his little display. 

“What?” Jisung asks, looking back at him.

“You look like a vampire, dude…”

“I’ll take that as a compliment. _Now._ I wanted to ask you if you’re still bent on coming to the rap battle to watch me and Changbin kick some ass.”

“I look forward to it,” Hyunjin smiles, shaking his head as he looks away and starts taking his things out of his bag; notebook, pen, tissues? “Here, have one.”

“You can bring Minho with you,” Jisung says as he takes the tissue.

“He already invited himself. He thinks your friend is cute.”

“He’s not wrong,” Jisung admits with a tilt of his head and a shrug. “I mean… Our Netflix account has four profiles: Chan, Han, Felix and _Changbaby_. So…”

“Han,” Hyunjin grins, holding up a single finger. _Yes, Han means one, congratulations._ “Are you nervous..?”

Jisung shrugs again but then nods a bit. “Yeah…? Slightly. But I think we’ll be fine.”

“Have you done it before?”

“Yeah, once…”

“Just remember that I’m watching and you’ll do _great_ ,” Hyunjin teases. “Need something to be smug about, no?”

“Hah,” Jisung scoffs, leaning back in his chair looking down as he unfolds the tissue. “Do you… also think that my friend is cute?”

Hyunjin purses his lips and moves them from side to side as he seems to think. “I like… Kihyun more than Changkyun. Aesthetically. If that answers your question.”

Jisung frowns and looks up to squint at the ceiling. _Kihyun… Ah, from Monsta X._ “Yeah, I guess. I don’t get it but it probably answers my question…” _Hm…_ “I meant like… Y’know. There are varying ways to find someone cute. I think that our teacher is cute and I think that my mother is cute but I’m sure it’s not the same type of cute Minho thinks about when he’s looking at Changbin.”

“Ah, I,” Hyunjin shifts a little and looks away. “He’s… definitely cute, but no, not like--like that…”

Jisung nods. “Hm… I see, okay.”

The teacher takes them through Set Theory and Jisung finds himself a little distracted by how Hyunjin’s muscles _do things_ when he’s writing. That’s normal. Muscles do stuff. That’s the point of muscles. Jisung’s muscles do things, too. He’s sure. He tries not to look but that turns the remaining class into an inner battle of sorts. Which… _WHY?!_

Once it’s time to pack up to leave, Jisung stands up but leans over Hyunjin’s notebook before he closes it to write his phone number on one of the pages with one of Hyunjin’s pens. “There… So we can text when the time comes,” he says, leaning back and throwing the pen over the table.

“Oh,” Hyunjin goes, apparently genuinely surprised. “Okay, thanks,” he smiles, then, before he finishes backing up and stands up. “Do you have an Insta? Twitter? You strike me as a Twitter person, for some reason. Shit posts and cat pics.”

Jisung feels mildly offended. “I _do_ have an Instagram account. I just don’t post often… And yes, I have a Twitter account but mostly for Minecraft funsies.”

“Oh, I’ve never played Minecraft, but it looks fun.”

“You--” Jisung leans back to make a double chin or two pop. “You’ve never played Minecraft…”

“Uhm, no…?” Hyunjin says, pouting a little. “Don’t judge me, I didn’t used to have a lot of free time, okay? And the little time I had, I used to practise, so… No, no Minecraft.”

“Fine,” Jisung sighs and then lifts his chin and a finger to poke at Hyunjin’s nose with. _“If_ I 

impress you real good at the rap battle, you’ll accept to come over to play Minecraft together.”

Hyunjin leans back like Jisung’s poke was super effective. “Wait, really?”

“Yes, really,” Jisung says and then grins. “Which means you’re coming anyway, ‘cause there’s no way I won’t rock your shoes off.”

Hyunjin laughs and nods, looking away-- _Am I blushing?_ \--as he takes a step backwards. “Like I said, I look forward to it. _Bye bye_ ,” he waves, then, in _smol_ English.

“Byyyyeee,” Jisung says, waving back. He stops once Hyunjin exits the classroom and is out of view and then looks at his hand before grabbing his own wrist and glaring at it. _WHAT AM I DOING?! I’M SUPPOSED TO DISLIKE THIS GUY WITH A BURNING PASSION!_ “AHHHHHH--”

“Mr. Han, are you alright?” the teacher asks from her desk.

“Yeeees!” Jisung whines.

* * *

**Hyunjin**

Hyunjin is immediately met with an electric and incredibly _exciting_ atmosphere, somewhere between anticipation and rebellion. He’s never been to a rap battle or anything even remotely like it, and he’s been vibrating in his Converse for what feels like days. Felix offered to show him around the place, which Hyunjin knows just means ‘babysitting’ but he doesn’t mind; this is a whole new world and he _is_ a baby in this setting, at least.

Apparently, there will be two circuits, pre-written and freestyle. Jisung and Changbin signed up for the pre-written battle, although, according to Felix, Jisung really, really wants to get good enough to sign up for both. Hyunjin _has_ attempted rapping, but unfortunately, he’s never been the type of person who builds off of criticism very well if it isn’t constructive, and he was always completely alone in his attempts, unlike Felix, who has _three_ whole rappers to teach him.

“I’m expecting them to either be really good or really bad,” Minho says as he looks around. “I mean, have you looked at Changbin? He dresses all in black but I bet he still sleeps with his ten plushies.”

“Oddly specific number,” Hyunjin grins over. “Has he been telling you about his plushies?”

“No, but I took a wild guess.”

Hyunjin laughs and gets on his tippy toes, bouncing a little up and down as he keeps looking around. _Is he actually going to be good…? Probably._ Hyunjin knows people don’t just sign up for these things for the hell of it; they’d get laughed at. There are steps to getting here and passing those steps requires talent, so… “Yeah, they’ll probably be great,” Hyunjin decides.

They hang around for a while. Lots of people keep gathering and Hyunjin notes that there seems to be a theme going on with everyone’s clothing. A theme he didn’t exactly stick to but then again neither did Minho or Felix. Minho, specifically, looks like he’s about to go pick up his date, tucked button up, coat and all-- _Oh,_ he thinks Changbin is _cute,_ cute, doesn’t he? And yeah, maybe Hyunjin dressed up a little within the ‘badass’ theme, with his most expensive brand hoodie and a few small braids in his hair, falling over his headband, hair loose, but at least he isn’t wearing something with _buttons_.

Hyunjin keeps bouncing, getting impatient with how excited he is, and heart jumping out of his chest when loud music starts blaring from the closest speaker. _Jesus fucking Christ--_

“Wooooh,” he hears Minho go, voice muffled by the loud bass that is making the floor quake. Hyunjin reaches out to take Minho’s arm, eyes wide on the stage now lit up as the rest of the lights turn off to draw everyone’s attention to it without question. _This is so coooooooooooool…_

The crowd is suddenly a bunch of shadows and whistles. There’s a cold breeze running by despite the amount of people that keep amounting together and pushing closer to the stage, and Hyunjin finds himself getting closer and closer while Minho single handedly makes way for them and for Felix, who’s following right behind.

People Hyunjin doesn’t know walk onto the stage with incredibly hype inducing music that immediately makes the crowd buzz, and Hyunjin watches them, lips kissing at their microphones, spitting out rhymes and rhythms and burns with incredible passion. Hyunjin can’t even see the face of one of the guys, given that his bucket hat is covering him all the way down to his nose, but it’s like he doesn’t _need_ to see his face; his voice and his words and his body language are enough.

 _This has to take so much confidence_ , Hyunjin thinks, which is a funny thought when it comes to Han Jisung. Because while the man is certainly confident and can be loud when he needs to be, Hyunjin keeps sensing a shyness from him. _But maybe that’s just because he doesn’t want to talk to me_. 

A couple more people go on stage and perform. They all have stage names but Hyunjin has never heard of them before. _Is this what they mean when they talk about underground rapping?_ He also doesn’t recognize the names SPEARB and J.ONE when those get announced which is why he gets a little whiplash when he sees Changbin and Jisung walk onto the stage as a cracking sound comes out of the speakers.

“What?!” Hyunjin goes, but it gets completely drowned out by the music as it starts.

Jisung looks… Like he’s flipped a switch. He moves freely around the stage as he spits words onto the microphone. And while there’s nothing exactly scratchy about his voice, while it’s not exactly like the ones who came before, he makes it sound clean and yet far too interesting. It helps that he’s so expressive, too. _And what’s with that vein popping out of his neck?!_

Is that even Jisung? Is J.ONE another person who just looks _slightly_ like Jisung but is… Really, really hot?! _Oh, no…_ He’s so good… He’s _so_ good. He doesn’t miss a beat or a syllable and he plays around with his voice in a way that makes Hyunjin think he could probably outsing everyone in this room.

Changbin doesn’t fall too far behind--Actually, nevermind, he’s really good, too. The way he makes that first ‘matryoshka’ roll in his throat literally sends whistles up in the air from the audience and has Minho’s eyebrows come up in pleasant surprise.

They do two songs. The first, ‘Matryoshka’, and the second ‘ZONE’, both completely different and yet… not really. Very on brand in a way that Hyunjin can’t quite pinpoint. _And Chan is supposed to be part of this?_ The three of them together are most likely just… monsters on stage.

Hyunjin is gaping as their last song ends, and he realises he’s been openly gaping this entire time. _A great look on you, Hyunjin, really._ But how-- _How am I supposed to talk to Jisung after this?!_ _HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LOOK HIM IN THE EYE!?_

“Okay, I did not expect _that,”_ Minho offers once everything goes silent.

* * *

**Jisung**

It could have been better, but Jisung is quite satisfied with their performance. Still, he’s trying to keep his leg from bouncing too much while he sits and waits for the results, Changbin quietly sitting next to him and watching YouTube videos on his phone like he’s not worried at all. _Alright, two can play at this game. I can pretend I’m not worried either!_

“Whatcha watching?” Jisung asks, leaning closer to take a peek.

“Married couple playing Minecraft,” Changbin scoffs.

“Oh _Dreeeeeeaaaaam ~”_ Jisung teases. _Ah, love them Minecraft YouTuber references._

“They just--” Changbin laughs, shaking his head. “They just keep _exploding, I love them_. I want these mods, Jisung, we need to try and play this game while constantly exploding everything we look at.”

“Chan will hate it,” Jisung chuckles, looking up when another one of the rappers passes by.

“Even better!”

“He will get so mad, though!” Jisung laughs, peeking at the phone again and then looking up once more when someone taps him on the knee. “Hm?”

“Les’go up,” another guy tells him.

“Oh, hey--” Jisung elbows Changbin, who whines. “Put that away, let’s go.”

It’s difficult to spot faces among the crowd. Jisung finds himself wondering at some point if their friends made it, if anyone at all made it. He wishes he could share this with his parents, too, but they wouldn’t understand. So, _friends_ is all Jisung can count on. Because otherwise? Well, it sucks not having anyone to share accomplishments or disappointments with. _Ugh, Chan, I miss you and your pep talks already…_

Of all things, though, Jisung didn’t expect to win. He does a double take at the MC when his name and Changbin’s get mentioned like he can’t quite believe it and he gapes while blindly reaching for Changbin’s arm. Changbin looks ecstatic, turning to Jisung to gape and beam.

“We did it!” he yells and then the two of them proceed to scream at each other in incoherent babble, which makes a couple of people laugh at them and some others laugh with them.

Jisung is suddenly _really_ happy! He achieved something! And yet… it doesn’t really matter, does it? He knows he won’t be able to do much more than this; attend an occasional rap battle or hope that one day someone picks up 3Racha’s stuff on YouTube and gives it a go. All because his parents won’t approve. _Hell,_ maybe even if they picked up 3Racha’s stuff, only Chan and Changbin would be able to keep at it.

Changbin gets a call from Felix the moment they’re outside and Jisung excuses himself to go sit alone by a wall nearby. He keeps staring at his phone, at his father’s contact on the screen, but the more he stares at it the sadder he gets. And the problem with Jisung and getting any sort of emotional whiplash is that… Well, he just turns it all into anger, because that’s easier to deal with. So, if he cries a little, it’s out of frustration for not being able to hit a pillow.

Jisung lowers his head and softly hits his phone against his forehead a couple of times, hoping that makes the tears stop. Unfortunately, it just makes it worse. He hates self-pitying himself. He really, _really_ needs Chan to kick his ass. So, that’s who he calls.

It takes a bit, but the call connects.

“Jisung!” Chan greets excitedly. “Wait, shouldn’t you be rapping right now?”

“We won…” Jisung says, annoyed when his voice breaks a little and he has to sniffle.

“Oh! That… That’s great, right? Jisung…?”

“You should have been here.”

“I’ll be there next time, Sungie.”

“You better be. I wanna win with you, too. The three of us…”

“We will, we will, don’t worry… Is that why you’re crying..? And yes, I can tell.”

Jisung keeps his eyes down and reaches up to scratch into his hair. It’s soft to the touch. Somehow, that makes him feel better. “I don’t know. I just… It’s fine. We’ll talk when you’re back. Just wanted you to kick my ass ‘cause I’m being an idiot.”

“You are being an idiot,” Chan chuckles. “You and Changbin just _won a rap battle._ Go celebrate! Be happy!”

Jisung sniffles hard and lifts his head. “Yeah… Look at us, carrying you on our backs,” he teases. “Next time you tell that cousin of yours she can get married on her own.”

“I’ll make sure she knows how much faith you have in her marriage.”

“Aish, whatever,” Jisung whines. “Byyyyyye.” And, with that, he hangs up. He stays very still, eyes on the road ahead, occasionally bringing a hand up to wipe at his cheeks. It’s only once he’s absolutely sure he’s not going to start crying again that he gets up to go look for his friends.

* * *

**Hyunjin**

Hyunjin knows he needs to… congratulate this dude. Tell him he did a great job and is definitely a fantastic rapper. What he doesn’t know is whether he can say any of that without blushing. _How dumb is that?_ A straight guy looks hot and Hyunjin melts; it’s a damn curse at this point. Still, Han Jisung is just some easily pissed off dude from his Stats class, he’s not a dragon Hyunjin needs to fight with a pointy stick, so he’s sure he can handle it.

“Hey,” Hyunjin says once he spots Jisung, coming back from wherever he was hiding after the win. He should probably have waited for Jisung to meet up with the rest of the people who came here, his _actual_ friends, but then they might see how red Hyunjin’s ears are and he’ll never recover from the embarrassment of it all.

Jisung actually seems a little pleased to see him. _What’s with the red eyes, though?_ “Hey! You actually made it!” Jisung chirps, jumping a little where he stands, hands in the pockets of his black jacket.

 _Wait, is he actually happy to see me… What?_ Hyunjin swallows back a slight warmth in his chest ( _Why?! What is your obsession with feeling wanted, Hyunjin?!_ ) and smiles. “Of course I made it; I had to see if your bark matched your bite.” 

“Well?” Jisung says with a grin, wiggling his eyebrows rather obnoxiously.

 _Don’t… Do that… Ugh!_ Hyunjin opens his mouth to reply but has to close it again to summon some saliva back into his very dry mouth, looking down as he feels himself flush. _Dammit, dammit, dammit_. “You were amazing,” he mumbles.

Jisung frowns a bit and leans back. “Sure doesn’t sound like it… But thanks!”

“No, you were!” Hyunjin immediately feels the need to defend, even if it makes him blush even more. “Seriously, it’s no wonder you won, you were the best of the night,” he laughs nervously. “You--You and Changbin, obviously, but because I came here to see you--” he gestures at Jisung. “I was w--watching you, so--” _Just… Shhh… Quiet..._

Jisung blinks and then raises an eyebrow in amusement. “Ah…” He grins and scootches closer to elbow Hyunjin. “Charmed your shoes off, huh? Nice. Saturday afternoon at my place, then!” Jisung chirps as he turns to walk towards the building. “Come on.”

It takes Hyunjin’s brain a second to remember what ‘Saturday afternoon’ entails, and he almost smacks himself for his mind thinking anything _other_ than Minecraft. _We will be playing the blocky game. With the… pixels, and the… exploding green things. Yep_.

“Coming,” Hyunjin says in a small voice, following after Jisung. “Have you, er--” _Question, think of a question._ “Been rapping for a long time…?”

“Not to this extent,” Jisung says. “I used to sing before I turned to rap… about… two to three years ago? Yeah.”

 _Knew it_ . “Maybe one day I can hear that, too,” Hyunjin teases, to _cope_. 

“You wanna hear me sing?” Jisung asks with a laugh.

“Yeah?” Hyunjin blinks over innocently. “What, you’re just going to tease me with ‘oh I used to sing’? Aish,” he laughs, looking away.

“There’s a song we’ve been working on for quite some time but that just sort of fell apart. I can sing that to you on Saturday. It’s called Hellevator. Pretty cool.”

“Saturday’s just getting better and better,” Hyunjin jokes, smiling over. _Aren’t we supposed to hate each other?_ “Promise you won’t get mad if I… I don’t know, get us disqualified at Minecraft or whatever.”

“PAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Jisung cackles, throwing his head back, Hyunjin looking over with wide, amused eyes and a smile.

“What did I say?!” he laughs. 

“Don’t worry,” Jisung keeps laughing, “Minecraft doesn’t work like that. It’s a sandbox game. The _best_ sandbox game.”

“Can I set the sandbox on fire by accident?” Hyunjin smiles.

“Yes,” Jisung chuckles.

“Nice, I’ll try my best.”

* * *

**Jisung**

“Are these Chan’s or yours?” Jisung asks from the door to Changbin’s bedroom, damp One Piece boxers stretched from hip to hip as he looks down at them. _I kinda want One Piece boxers, too… They’re cool._

“Chan’s, obviously. How _dare_ you insinuate that I’m a weeb,” Changbin says once he looks over, PS4 controller in his hands as he scoffs small. “Aw, they’re kinda cute, though~.”

“I know right?” Jisung says in a pout. He sighs and flaps the boxers before turning around to walk back towards the kitchen. He’s been doing the laundry for the past hour but he keeps getting distracted by the things Felix will occasionally send him. _There are so many cute videos on Instagram…_ To think that Jisung is out here doing Chan’s laundry, too, though… _You’re in Australia! Why am I washing your underwear?!_ Jisung should be in bed, occupying his pea brain with chunky animal videos while he waits for Hyunjin to show up.

It’s with that thought in his head that, as he turns to the kitchen, he hears the doorbell ring. His brain shuts down all laundry related windows and makes him turn around towards the intercom. He has to squint at the preview but _yes, that is definitely Hyunjin._

“Yah, Changbin! Hyunjin is here!” Jisung exclaims back over his shoulder as he clicks on the key button of the intercom.

“Good thing you got those One Piece boxers!” Changbin calls back with a cackle.

Jisung frowns and then looks down at his hand. _Oh. Shit!_ he thinks, and immediately runs into the kitchen to dunk the boxers into the washing machine again. _I’ll deal with this later._

When Hyunjin finally walks in, Jisung gives him a few peeks mid process of closing the front door like he expects the guy to explode at any given point. It’s like fight or flight mode, and Jisung doesn’t really know why he has the need to feel like this whenever he’s near this person. Still, he knows it’ll pass. It always does, once they get talking.

“Oooooh, it’s bigger than I remember, maybe the daylight makes a difference,” Hyunjin says as he gapes a little and looks around. “And _nice_ ,” he says as he spins around to squint at Jisung playfully. “Are you rich or something?”

Jisung huffs a laugh and turns around to lean back against the door. “Haha, no… Changbinie, though… Yeah. I, uhm--You were literally here not even a month ago,” Jisung lifts a finger and twirls it around. “But yeah. Nice place, huh? Thanks, Changbaby.”

“Yeeeeah, Changbin had rich boy vibes,” Hyunjin agrees.

“Hey!” Changbin whines from his bedroom.

“See,” Hyunjin smiles.

Jisung huffs a laugh and tilts his head as he pushes away from the door and walks towards the bedroom hall. “Yeah, he’s here to annoy us. No funny business, I guess,” he jokes, frowning when he can’t find a reason why he’d joke about something like that.

“Yah, keep your door open at all times, young man,” Changbin scolds with a laugh as Hyunjin rolls his eyes and looks away.

“He acts like this,” Jisung whispers as he walks into his bedroom and holds the door for Hyunjin, “But he’s actually a baby. He can’t even grill his own meat.”

“That sounds like a euphemism,” Hyunjin whispers back, walking backwards into Jisung’s room. “So! This is where you craft?”

“Yes!” Jisung chirps, suddenly in a good mood. He closes the door, muffling Changbin’s protests against it in the background. “This is where I craft!” Jisung says, spinning around the room with his arms open. It’s a small room, but there’s enough space for a bed that is covered in plain white sheets, a desk with a good gaming laptop on it, an open wardrobe and a guitar that is leaning against the wall by the foot of the bed. 

_Thankfully,_ Jisung cleaned up. Otherwise, it would be looking like a small, little dumpster room.

Hyunjin scratches at the back of his head, loosening a few strands from his ponytail in the process. “I watched some Minecraft YouTube things last night so I wouldn’t come off as a total noob, but that will still happen, I’m sure...”

“Well,” Jisung grins, leaning over his chair to pull it away. “Sit down. You’re in charge today.”

Hyunjin’s eyes go a little wide. “I--This is your house!”

“Yes, and I’m telling you to sit down, you idiot!” Jisung laughs.

Hyunjin pouts and plops down on the chair, looking up at Jisung like he’s awaiting further instruction. Jisung is probably displaying about two double chins right now but that doesn’t bother him as much as the random flutters inside his chest. _What._ _Why?!_ So, before he can get angry, he moves away and kneels beside the chair arms over the table before reaching forward to turn on the laptop.

“So, technically, there are loose objectives within the game, yeah?” he explains. “But you can just ignore that and go about it however you can.”

“I wanna build a house,” Hyunjin nods, scooting closer. “A tall one, like a tower, on a mountain or something,” he nods some more, apparently very determined.

“Ooooh, building, huh?” Jisung grins, lifting himself up just a bit to type in his password. “And do you wanna do that on Survival Mode or Creative Mode? Basically, the difference is that in Creative you can make it passive and you have all the blocks available in the game so you can do whatever you want. Survival… well, you gotta search for things and mobs attack you.”

Hyunjin frowns. “What’s the challenge if you’re playing in Creative? That sounds dumb.”

“Ah!” Jisung winks and finger guns at Hyunjin, “A man after my own heart!”

Hyunjin scoffs and reaches over to apparently try and steal the laptop. “Gimme, gimme, gimme--”

“Waaait--” Jisung laughs, pushing him away with his shoulder as he tries to reach for the Minecraft icon on his laptop’s taskbar. “There. We. Goooo!” he chirps, then, pulling the computer closer and turning it to Hyunjin.

“Do you need to hear what’s going on?” Hyunjin asks, blinking at the laptop and wiggling his fingers.

“No. Although it’s interesting and safer if you’re playing Survival, ‘cause of mobs.”

Hyunjin makes a funny face and laughs. “There’s mafia in this game?”

“Ah--” Jisung laughs, “Mob is like… Mobile, computer, non-player character, or NPC.”

“Not _the_ Mob, gotcha,” Hyunjin smiles, eyes now seemingly glued to the screen. “Bonus chest? Duh, gimme,” he mumbles. “Easy, obviously.”

“Noob,” Jisung teases, shifting a little to squish his cheek against his fist.

“Fine, _normal_ , but you’ll have to do more to make me go Hard,” Hyunjin laughs--more like ‘giggles’.

“Oh boy, don’t say that too loud or Changbin will be barging in through that door,” Jisung scoffs, locking his eyes with the screen so he can concentrate on that and not on his burning ears. _Chill. We can joke._

Hyunjin takes a deep breath and throws his head back as if he’s about to scream his lungs out but just bursts into more giggles. Jisung gives him an amused look. Why does he keep getting angry at someone so… happy? Sure, Hyunjin was a bit of an asshole when they met but other than that he’s just a dude who’s vibing and gets pretty excited about things.

“Sorry, sorry,” Hyunjin giggles and starts the game, eyes going wide in wonder as he spawns on top of a mountain, the view rendering in front of his eyes. “Waaaah. This is all mine?!”

“The entire world, baby!” Jisung laughs.

“What do I do?!” Hyunjin laughs, too.

“Punch the tree!”

“ _What?_ ”

“Trust me,” Jisung laughs, and sits back to watch Hyunjin do his thing. Minecraft is a pretty intuitive game, so all Jisung has to do is give tips to recipes among other things while Hyunjin tries his best. Nothing out of this world. And once Hyunjin has learned how to deal with most mobs, Jisung plugs his phone to the speakers and puts on some music as background noise. “Have fun,” he says, patting Hyunjin’s shoulder. “I’ll be over there,” he adds, pointing to the bed.

Hyunjin nods but pouts over a few moments later. “You’re not bored..?”

“Nope!” Jisung chirps without taking his eyes off his phone. “Just chilling. Also, procrastinating. I’m on laundry duty today but I’m using you as an excuse to leave it for later.”

“Ah, ‘kay, because I wouldn’t wanna imp-- _AAH!_ ” Hyunjin shrieks, hands to his mouth a moment later as he looks in horror at his screen.

“What, what?!” Jisung goes, sitting up on the bed, eyes wide.

“I was _mining_ ,” he says, in the smallest voice Jisung has heard, probably ever, as Hyunjin’s little Minecraft character burns to death in a pool of lava. _Oh, no..._

“Yeah… You have to be careful. Never mine down! Always ahead. And watch out if you’re mining up, lava will drip through the blocks like a warning.”

“My _things_ ,” Hyunjin whines.

“It’s okay, you’ll respawn back at your bed. So… just get new things and be careful.”

“I’m _mourning_ ,” he whines but laughs, hanging his head in shame.

Jisung huffs a laugh. “Yeah, man. Once Changbinie and I were doing a run and I kinda threw myself into a pool of lava by mistake… I had full diamond armor… diamond tools already enchanted… All gone.”

Hyunjin looks over like Jisung just told him his dog died. This guy is _expressive_ , what the hell. He huffs, though, melting back with the laptop and pouting as he respawns and starts running back to the mine. “Fine, I’ll be careful. Tell me something about yourself, I need a distraction before I throw myself into the lava just because.”

“I, er,” Jisung laughs softly, suddenly taken aback. He frowns and looks down to his phone, blindly reaching up to tap at his eyebrow piercing. “Uhm…”

“Weren’t you going to sing for me?” Hyunjin asks, smiling over playfully.

“Oh… Uhm, yeah. Sure. What do you want me to sing?”

“Hellevator.”

Jisung blinks. “Oh, you remembered that, did you…”

Hyunjin shrugs. “It was a cool title. Like an elevator going up from Hell, right?”

“Okay,” Jisung nods, putting his phone aside and reaching for the guitar as he clears his voice. “Don’t expect much, alright? Also… Please, pass me the notebook by your left. I often forget the lyrics to things…”

Hyunjin reaches for the notebook and sits up properly to pass it over, exiting the game (after looking away for a few minutes and getting exploded by a Creeper, the guy apparently learned his lesson) and turning to look at Jisung properly.

“Ah,” Jisung huffs with a laugh, looking down a little flustered. “Why are you paying attention to me, go back to your game. Now I’m nervous.”

“Alright, alright,” Hyunjin teases, pulling the laptop back and keeping his eyes on the screen. 

Jisung clears his throat and peeks up before strumming softly as he changes the chords and tries to remember what was what. He stops once he thinks he’s sure and takes a deep breath, turning his notebook open on the right page before he positions his fingers on the strings and sings; 

_“My life’s at a rock bottom’s cliff, I’m walking down a dark tunnel; I’m holding up this cruel dreadful day alone…”_ And then, Changbin’s killer rap, which Jisung is definitely more comfortable with; “ _My school hallway is fading away, in this unfamiliar way; I’m so unlucky, I don’t have any map to tell whether this road is right; There’s no way to go up, what I’ve been through is a maze I never want to go back to; I’m comforting myself, shedding bloody sweat instead of bloody tears; They--Tell me such hill are just passing showers; If you want success, put snares that are called failures; So yes, I bite the baits that are called pain; I’m wandering around, with my exhausted wings of passion temporarily folded--”_ And then back to singing. _“My life’s at a rock bottom’s cliff, I’m walking down a dark tunnel; I’m holding up this cruel dreadful day alone… Though I reach out my hand, there’s nobody there to hold it; They’re going up, riding on my pain and my tears; I’m on a Hellevator! My Hellevator!”_

It’s an old song. Jisung remembers writing it together with Changbin after Chan showed them a little sample of what he’d been cooking all night inside his bedroom. It was… emotional. Jisung got chills. He likes songs that have just a little desperation to them and this was the perfect one. A shame that they never got to finish it.

 _“I’m praying for myself to hold on,”_ Jisung raps. He remembers writing this bit. _“To save myself from their unkind stares; They’re arguing if I’m crazy or not, I’ll be somebody’s clown even if I make it through; ‘That’s what you’re going to be, stop trying to be a singer’; I push myself through more hearing them talk--”_ and that’s where it ends. That’s all they ever managed to write. He puffs a breath and peeks up. “So…?”

Hyunjin is pouting like he’s going to cry, game apparently completely forgotten. “That’s… You’re… That’s _so good_ , what…”

“Aish…” Jisung huffs, reaching back to scratch at his head. “Thanks… Changbin and Chan also wrote their bits. It’s not just me. But yeah.”

“No, but like--” Hyunjin laughs, shaking his head a little and looking down with a small frown. “When you were rapping on stage, I remember thinking how much passion you put into it? I just wasn’t expecting for you to sing like that, too. And those _lyrics_ , aish, _my heart_ ,” Hyunjin groans, melting against the back of the chair.

Jisung smiles a little at a small feeling and then wiggles his eyebrows because he can’t help it. “Taken?” he asks.

“Cupid just got a promotion,” Hyunjin laughs, before smiling sheepishly and turning the laptop around to show Jisung the loading screen. This _asshole--_

Jisung just cackles, falling over the bed and clinging to his guitar. “Ah--Aish!”

* * *

**Hyunjin**

“Ugh, my head hurts,” Hyunjin whines after what turns out to be three hours straight of playing the stupid, blocky, pixellated game that hates him. “But I need to finish this roof or I won’t know peace.” He lies back on the bed he’s since moved to, then, staring at the screen. Is his character holding a cooked salmon? Has he been hitting things with a _cooked salmon?!_

“You’ve made progress,” Jisung offers. He’s right next to Hyunjin, notebook open while he apparently practices some of the things he’s been learning in class. Hyunjin didn’t take Jisung to be the studious type. Maybe, to him, whatever he’s doing isn’t even what he’d consider studying. He appears to have a knack for maths so maybe he just thinks of it like a game.

“So have you,” Hyunjin smiles over, before peeking at the game again. “Think I can come by again and finish this some other time..?”

“Sure! Any time!”

Hyunjin tongues a little at the corner of his lips when he looks over. “Are we _friends_ now?” he teases, like the mere notion will have Jisung go up in flames. And hey, it might.

“Ew, of course not,” Jisung laughs. He pauses, then, and sighs before glancing over. “But since you’re so eager to be my friend, I’ll accept you into my life.”

“You can still fight me, though, it’s okay,” Hyunjin laughs, exiting the game and closing the laptop as he sits up properly.

Jisung raises an eyebrow. “I don’t wanna fight you. Unless you’re asking for it.”

“You just know I’d win, is all,” Hyunjin sighs, running a hand through his hair nonchalantly. 

“Depends on what you define as ‘winning’. You mean, like, argumentatively?”

“Why, do you wanna get physical?” _See? The trick is not caring_. 

“I feel like I could bend you over like a spoon and you’d break,” Jisung scoffs, Hyunjin blinking to look at him in pure amusement. It takes them both a moment to realize what Jisung just said and how he said it.

“Wooooow,” Hyunjin goes.

“Can we just…” Jisung laughs. “Pretend I never said that?”

“Sure,” Hyunjin scoffs, ears going red as he falls back onto the bed. _Doesn’t mean I won’t stop thinking about it… Goddammit._ “So. You’re actually a really deep person, huh?” _That should distract you from my flaming ears_.

“Uh… I guess? Do I seem shallow to you?”

“Eh, most people are,” Hyunjin huffs, eyes on the ceiling. “You don’t, though.”

“Hm…” Jisung looks up. “I don’t think I’m that deep, although… maybe I am? I just don’t think about things much. But when I do, I guess I get pretty deep.”

“Your lyrics are deep, though,” Hyunjin says, looking over. How is this guy’s hair always so _floffy?_

“I just write about how I feel. I figure that’s relatable because… in a way,” Jisung shrugs, “We all go through the same things, one way or another. So I guess that even if you don’t really get it to the same extent, you can relate to certain feelings… hopelessness and sadness, specifically, are pretty straightforward.”

Hyunjin pouts a little, eyes scanning up and down on him. “ _Are_ you hopeless and sad…?”

Jisung huffs a laugh and crosses his legs over the bed as he starts rocking himself back and forward just slightly. “Yeah…? A bit. Sometimes. Not all the time, obviously. But… Sometimes.”

“For a reason or just because?”

Jisung glances up and then looks away. “Thankfully, there’s a reason…” He shrugs. “Just… Let’s just say that college wasn’t exactly in my list of plans I had after graduating high school. But… My parents kind of clowned me when I said I didn’t want to study anymore.”

Hyunjin pulls his hoodie’s sleeves over his hands as he watches Jisung. _Huh…_ “You wanted to be a rapper?”

“I wanted to sign up for a company recruitment. But mom and dad didn’t let me. Thankfully, I met Changbin and Chan along the way and we… started doing what I kinda wanted to do, as a hobby, though. It’s kept me going so far but… I don’t know. I kinda wanted to expand on it. Maybe go on YouTube, start a platform. Something. I’m sure I could've tried at least. I know it’s a matter of luck with these things. But… I explained this to my parents to no avail. They’re stubborn. I suppose I take after them...”

Hyunjin smiles and fiddles with his sleeve. “I wanted to sign up, too,” he admits. “I got kind of scouted? While I was in America, but my parents also didn’t let me. See, we’ve got stuff in common,” he huffs.

Jisung glances up, eyes big and sympathetic. “Eh, no wonder, though. You’re like a model.”

Hyunjin raises an amused eyebrow, even as he feels himself flush. “I am a model.”

Jisung blinks. “Oh… Of… Of course you are. I mean, look at you.”

“Thanks,” Hyunjin laughs, looking away when his face feels hot. “They let me do that, at least. Said it wouldn’t interfere too much and it would pay for my college and the dance classes I still insisted on taking. But nah, I get it…”

Jisung smiles small and pulls the hood of his hoodie over his head. “Right… The dance classes…” He grins and then gestures towards the middle of the small bedroom. “Well, go at it! Show me yo’ moves!”

Hyunjin looks over with wide eyes. “Heh?! No, you need to come to my showcase!” he laughs.

“I’ll go to the showcase if you show me a bit of your dancing!” Jisung enthuses as he bounces over the bed.

Hyunjin whines but (because he’s a show off) rolls himself up to stand in a practised move that always makes his abs hurt. Jisung actually wolf whistles at him, _and claps_ like that’s needed at all. _God_ , Hyunjin thinks as he blushes, shaking his hands.

“Alright, play something and I’ll just--” he gestures his hands. “ _Adapt_. Freestyle, whatever.”

“Mmmkay,” Jisung laughs, bouncing some more as he takes his phone. “D’you like Billie? You look like someone who jams to Billie Eye-lash.”

“Literally dancing to one of her songs for the showcase,” Hyunjin laughs.

“That’s hot,” Jisung says for no reason and it makes Hyunjin blush for, apparently, many reasons. 

“Just pick a song, idiot,” Hyunjin mumbles, scratching at his neck.

“I’m trying, I’m trying!” Jisung whines. “Okay--Okay! A basic one; ‘bad guy’, let’s go!” he enthuses as he hits play. 

Hyunjin grins a little to himself as he rolls his shoulders. He’s freestyled to this song before, quite a few times actually. Is it still freestyle if it’s _slightly_ choreographed? Whatever. He shakes his hands then, glances around to make sure he won’t hurt himself on a desk or something, before he closes his eyes and just… moves.

Maybe this is how Jisung feels when he raps; entirely free, unburdened and entirely himself. Hyunjin just lets himself feel the beat and move to it, moving slow and then fast, sharply and then smoothly. He isn’t warmed up at all so he’s probably not as good as he’d like to be, but he feels the need to show off, so he certainly tries.

“Woah, okay, that’s really cool,” Jisung gapes.

“Don’t distract me,” Hyunjin laughs.

“THAT’S SO COOL!” Jisung yells.

Hyunjin leans forward to tug Jisung’s hoodie down over his head but that doesn’t stop Jisung from bouncing to the beat of the song, especially not when he starts singing along and clapping at the same time he twists and turns.

_“So you’re a tough guy, like it really rough guy, just can’t get enough guy--”_

Hyunjin lets himself go silly in his dancing, and does the woah so hard his beanie falls off. He collapses into a crouch as he laughs, hands over his head. _WHY AM I SUDDENLY SO SHY?!_

“We should go clubbing when we’re of age, that’ll be fun,” Jisung laughs.

Hyunjin peeks up, bouncing a little to the beat of the song in his crouch. “My birthday was only a few weeks ago, you know. Yours?”

“Still a couple of months away,” Jisung says as he leans forward and stretches like a cat over the bed, butt up and back arched, fingers wiggling. “I’m a September baby.”

“Let’s stay friends until we can get drunk together, then,” Hyunjin huffs, watching Jisung in amusement. “I really want to see that, for some reason, since you’re already kind of crazy.”

“Shouldn’t be long ~” Jisung grins.

Hyunjin huffs and stays in his crouch, chin on his arms folded over his legs. Why is this actually fun..? “So, what, you can’t dance at all, then?” he teases with a grin.

“I’ll let you teach me,” Jisung says as he wiggles his eyebrows, piercing bouncing up and down. Hyunjin looks away because... _Ugh_.

“Sure, if you teach me how to rap.”

“Oh, I can definitely do that. I’m a great teacher.”

“God, stop trying to sound so hot,” Hyunjin jokes in a scoff, standing himself up and putting his hands on his hips.

Jisung straightens up and sits back on his haunches. “What? _Trying?!_ You mean to say I’m _not_ hot?”

“Is it hot if you have to _try_?” Hyunjin asks, tilting his head with a teasing smile.

“Damn,” Jisung goes dramatically, “I hope you’re not like this with the ladies or you’re never gonna get any.”

“A shame,” Hyunjin deadpans. _Whoops_ . “Do you _know_ how tired I am of women stealing my erasers and pens?”

Jisung scoffs a laugh. “Aish, don’t sound so ungrateful. Maybe send some my way?”

“What, you need an eraser, too?”

“Wouldn’t mind lending one,” Jisung shrugs, looking up.

Hyunjin smiles and walks back to the bed to plop down, curious now. “Have you had a girlfriend before or..?”

“Pfft, obviously…” Jisung goes, masking whatever he’s trying to mask with enough bravado to feed two souls. “I mean, have you seen me? The ladies beg!”

Hyunjin rolls his eyes. “And then you ask me why I might perceive you as _shallow_.”

Jisung chuckles and bounces closer over the bed, reaching up to his chest and pretending to remove his beating heart from in between his ribs. “I pass them by and they come to me like, _oppa--_ ” Jisung dramatizes, fingers moving as if they’re clutching onto a live heart. _“Please take it!”_ Jisung’s voice breaks like it’s on purpose.

Hyunjin giggles-- _this guy is so extra, what the hell_ \--and quickly reaches forward to snatch the ‘heart’ Jisung is holding, holding it up and out of reach. “Whoops~”

“Yah!” Jisung complains half-heartedly. “Stop stealing all the ladies, you!”

“Aw, this isn’t yours?” Hyunjin pouts and frowns like he’s disappointed. “Nevermind, then,” he jokes, throwing the ‘heart’ like it’s a basketball and he’s trying to score.

Jisung actually gasps. “How cruel!”

Hyunjin cups his face and smiles innocently, scrunching his face up cutely like he would never hurt a single soul. “ _Oppaaaaa_ ~”

“Oh, wow,” Jisung places a hand over his chest. “I’m actually--My heart. Good looks really are that powerful, huh…?”

Hyunjin drops his hands and rolls his eyes in a smile. “Yeah, yeah, put me in a wig and call me Noona, I’m _gorgeous_ , I know.” _What am I, bait for straights?_

“Ah, I don’t need to call you that,” Jisung laughs, reaching over to poke Hyunjin’s forehead. “What about you, though? You probably have a very long list of ex-girlfriends--I mean, you look really good but then they get to know you and drop you in disappointment.”

Hyunjin sighs longingly. “ _Every_ time.”

“Ever got your heart broken? _If_ you’ve got a heart,” Jisung teases.

Hyunjin scoffs and ignores the way his heart tightens a little. “See, I had one, and then it got broken and I had to throw the whole heart away.”

Jisung actually pouts at that. “Like, actually?” he questions as ‘everything i wanted’ by Billie Eilish starts in the background.

Hyunjin chews on his lip and glances up before he sighs. “Actually. It’s… complicated.”

“Hm… Well.” Jisung straightens up and slams a fist against his chest. “Don’t worry. You can tell me where the pieces are and I’ll go find them and put them back together. But I won’t give you the whole thing until you’re sure you can give it to the next girl you fall for.”

 _So… Never_.

“Thanks,” Hyunjin smiles, scratching at his cheek. “I’ll send you the quest details and map locations later.”

“Thanks!”

“Yours still in one piece, then?”

“Ah--” Jisung huffs a laugh and shrugs, gaze dropping. “I’ve… Actually never been in love…?”

Hyunjin’s heart tightens a little again as he says, “Lucky.”

“Meh,” Jisung chuckles. “Not really… The whole thing actually sounds pretty cool and exciting and happy and hopeful. I could use a bit of that, to be honest. Not that I can’t get it on my own--been doing it my whole life, but y’know. Sometimes it gets tiring… Sometimes you just wanna give the chore of loving yourself to someone else and relax for a moment. And I guess that--” Jisung glances up. “It must be quite the feeling to know that someone loves _you_ , huh? For the person that you are. Like, wow, someone actually loves you! That’s so cool. I don’t know--” He shrugs and looks down again, and Hyunjin finds himself staring at this boy who just… keeps surprising him. “I just… It’s never happened to me. And I’ve never felt like that towards someone else. I suppose I’m just picky…”

Hyunjin smiles softly, enjoying the way the tightness of his heart eases up. “Better than giving your heart to every idiot you run into…”

“Ah, definitely,” Jisung chuckles, eyes on the wrinkles his finger is leaving on the bed every time he pokes it. “Hearts are fragile. If you gotta hand it over to someone you shouldn’t just put it in their hands. You gotta let them keep it next to theirs. Inside their chests. That’s the only way they’ll be safe.”

Hyunjin huffs softly. “Because if the one gets hurt, they both do..?”

“Because--Have you ever tried punching a chest?” Jisung laughs.

Hyunjin barks a laugh. “No, you violent squirrel!”

“Sturdy stuff, man! You can’t get in there that easily.”

“Knife.”

“That takes intent.”

“What, and _punching_ someone’s chest doesn’t?!”

“Yeah, but you can’t hurt their hearts if you punch them, unless you’re One Punch Man!”

“ONE PUUUUUUNCH!” Hyunjin yells, fist up with a laugh.

“Good show, good show,” Jisung agrees.

“Knew you were deep,” Hyunjin scoffs.

“You keep saying that,” Jisung laughs.

“I like deep people, so consider me pleasantly surprised.”

“Oh, all my brain caught is that you like me ~”

“Well, you did already offer to keep my heart safe until I needed it ~”

“You like me ~”

“Less and less by the second,” Hyunjin scoffs, but he can feel himself smiling. 

“Aw, but--” Jisung puckers his lips and leans closer as he tries to reach for Hyunjin. “I’m so looooovableeeee ~” 

Hyunjin leans back, sporting quite a few chins and looking at Jisung like he’s an alien. Which honestly, at this point, he must be. “Must be tiring being so lovable. Is there an off switch somewhere?” Hyunjin jokes, reaching forward and poking at whatever part of Jisung’s face he can find.

Jisung collapses over the bed, face down. “Critical hit…”

“Idiot,” Hyunjin says, and he notes he sounds fond when he does. _Ugh…_ _The last thing I need is to crush on another straight guy..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to leave some feedback if you can ;w;


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He smells nice, Jisung thinks. Kinda sweet. Kind of… Addicting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw: f* slur and mention of past relationship emotional manipulation/abuse

**Jisung**

“Oh, it’s terrible,” Chan says with a giggle as he stares at Jisung’s laptop. “He didn’t even do a roof, it’s just a squared house of spruce wood blocks!”

“With a fence on top,” Changbin adds, arms crossed.

“I know! It looks like an E.T.!”

“It’s _beautiful!”_ Jisung enthuses. They’re all standing in the middle of the room, Jisung between the other two, eyes on the terribly magnificent artwork Hyunjin created in Minecraft just the other day. Skills? None. Creativity? Plenty. Bonus points for daring and perseverance! 

“Is his _floor_ made out of… glass?” Changbin squints. “Oh, god, it is, isn’t it…”

“Yep,” Jisung says with pride. “Go on,” he gestures at the laptop, “Go inside and see just how many crafting tables he thought he needed.”

Chan looks a little scared when he glances over, before leaning in over the laptop to control the little block boy and walk him into the wooden block house, barking a laugh once he does. “There are so many torches,” he wheezes.

“He was getting tired of being blown up by Creepers. But when I told him why the Creepers blow up he got sad, so he put torches everywhere because he feels sad that they explode because they’re _nervous_ to see you.”

“Are you sure he’s not a Disney Princess?” Chan asks.

Jisung tilts his head to the side and quirks an eyebrow. “Honestly, I’ve been wondering that myself,” he mumbles.

“He’s got the hair for it,” Changbin scoffs.

“What does he look like again?” Chan asks, leaning back and crossing his arms. “God, I leave for two weeks and life passes me by.”

Jisung pulls his phone out of his pocket and unlocks it to open Instagram for Chan. “There, that’s his page.”

“This fella spent two hours liking all of his pictures--”

“I did _not!”_ Jisung yells, shoving a hand at Changbin’s face.

Chan frowns in confusion at the phone. “No, I think you went to the wrong profile, this is obviously some kpop star’s personal account.”

“Definitely him, then,” Changbin throws at the ceiling.

“He was in our _house?!_ ” Chan almost shrieks. “DID YOU VACUUM BEFOREHAND?!”

Jisung and Changbin look between each other. “Er… no,” they say in unison.

Chan groans and scrolls through Jisung’s phone. “Hopefully that first impression at my going away party stuck. He did come back, after all…” He whistles lowly then when he hands the phone back. “Good luck.”

“With what?” Jisung questions.

“Nobody is too straight for that force of nature.”

Jisung blinks and then frowns. “What are you implying?”

“Nothing,” Chan laughs, waving a dismissive hand.

Jisung narrows his eyes at Chan and then at Changbin. “You lot stay away.”

“Why?” Changbin asks, glancing to Chan. “ _Does he like boooooys?”_

“No. So, _away,”_ Jisung says as he waves them ‘away’, “Shoo, shoo!”

“That makes no sense, but sure,” Changbin scoffs, turning around to walk away.

“Well, I’m allowed to have straight friends!” Jisung yells at him. “I’m tired of being the token straight!”

“More than one way to fix that,” Chan jokes and Changbin giggles before closing his door. Chan looks to Jisung and smiles innocently as he walks backwards and away. Jisung keeps glaring at him, though. “Just saying. That boy? My gaydar goes ding ding ding ~”

Jisung frowns. “I asked! He said he didn’t like guys.”

“Oh, you _asked_? Incheresting.”

“Well, you know…” Jisung looks down, lips pouty. “We were kind of talking about it. And--” He lifts his head. “He likes girls! Booooobies!”

Chan makes a squeezing motion in the air, then turning around and opening the door before walking into his bedroom. “Have fun being straight together, then~”

Jisung puffs a breath and sighs. “What is that even supposed to mean…?” he huffs. He glances at the screen of his laptop, Minecraft’s theme soothing its way out of the speakers. _It’s cute… the house._ It’s so dumb that it’s cute. And, suddenly, without really knowing why, Jisung is sad.

* * *

**Hyunjin**

Hyunjin walks out his last class of the day, poking idly at his cheek as he checks his reflection on his phone’s screen. _Do I look puffy? I feel puffy_ . Not that Hyunjin ever really cares about stupid shit like that, but he _is_ going to have a high quality camera in his face in a few hours from now so it feels more important. It’s a photoshoot for a brand of spectacles, and Hyunjin expects whatever he looks like tonight will be forever immortalised in plenty of optomosterist pamphlets, so, _important_. 

“Hey!” says the voice that startles him. And, when he looks up, he glimpses upon a very happy looking Jisung, nevermind that his skinny jeans are hugging his waist in such a tiny way. “Took your time packing your things, huh?” Jisung huffs as he pockets his phone and lifts a paper cup of coffee. Hyunjin just stares because… _What?!_ “Here, gotcha this… Uhm, coffee. Americano style. That’s what you like, right?”

“Th--Thanks,” Hyunjin blinks, surprise probably plastered all over his ever-easy readable face. “How did you… Heh?”

“Oh!” Jisung laughs and then point up and down and to the side, like he can’t really decide. “I was going through your Insta the other day and--” _Oh, yes, the liking spree… That was entertaining._ “You had so many pictures with coffee and a couple of captions about Americanos so…”

“Americano~” Hyunjin sings, _for some goddamn reason_. He just bought you coffee, Hyunjin, calm down.

“Right,” Jisung blinks and then claps his hands. “Now that _that’s_ out of the way; Are you busy today? Or… Well, for whatever is left of today.”

Hyunjin feels immediately conflicted. “Yes? I mean, ugh, yeah, I am busy, but--”

“Oh…” Jisung deflates.

“Do you wanna come?”

He squints. “To…”

Hyunjin deflates a little, realising he must look a bit stupid. “A professional photoshoot..? I have one, tonight. Hence, busy.”

“Oh! Uhm… No, I mean, nah--” Jisung huffs and shakes his head and hands. “Nah, we cool. It’s fine…” He looks down, lips puckered, and seems to think. Then, he looks up like he just got struck by lightning. “Oh! At what time d’you leave?”

“Not too late,” Hyunjin squints, playfully. “Why, what are you thinking? I can see the hamster wheels spinning.”

Jisung finger guns him. “They’re squirrels and--” He looks away. “Was just wondering if maybe you want to hang out afterwards… Changbinie is… gonna be busy. And Chan invited Felix over. I… really didn’t wanna be in the middle of _that_ so…”

“Wait, Chan and Felix are a thing?”

Jisung sighs and gestures to himself. “Token straight…”

 _Ah. So I was right about that._ “Right,” Hyunjin huffs. “And yeah, sure, why not,” he bounces a little, finally lifting the coffee to take a sip. “Believe it or not, you’re actually quite a lot of fun to be around,” he teases.

Jisung makes to look away but keeps looking at him by the corner of his eye, wiggling his eyebrows before grinning a little and then just huffing a laugh. “Yeah, same here. Anyway…” He gestures towards the corridor. “Where am I dropping you off, then?”

“Oh, I’m being escorted?” Hyunjin gasps playfully. “Such a gentleman.”

Jisung makes his voice purposefully deep when he says, in English, _“Gentleman is my middle name!”_ He then lifts his arm, implying that Hyunjin should hook his arm around it. Hyunjin rolls his eyes but goes along, glancing over to see that while Jisung isn’t _that_ much shorter than him, if Hyunjin were to lean in, his lips would reach the tip of Jisung’s nose.

_What, no. Get better comparisons, Hyunjin, Jesus--_

“The shoot is near a pizza place so I was just going to loiter there until the crew shows up,” Hyunjin says. “Hungry?”

“Very,” Jisung chirps.

* * *

**Jisung**

Hanging out with Hyunjin is fun and, soon enough, Jisung finds himself trying to fit in time with his newly acquired friend in every little gap he can find on his schedule. It’s tough once school time tightens everything with projects and more things to study. But turns out that they can always merge a couple of things together. Like Hyunjin’s dancing classes and Jisung’s staring-- _Correction,_ homework.

Turns out, Hyunjin is a _really, really_ good dancer. So is Minho and so is Felix, to be honest. But there’s something about the way Hyunjin moves… It’s like he becomes someone else; some underwater demon or whatever. He lets every beat, every twist within a song’s melody take a hold of his body. And, sometimes, he’s not just dancing to some song; he _is_ the song. Maybe that’s why he’s so mesmerizing to watch.

 _That showcase? It was top tier._ And so was the one Jisung attended afterwards.

Eventually, though, everyone becomes busy. And even Hyunjin has other things to get to that have nothing to do with spending some of his free time with Jisung. Meanwhile, Jisung knows he should be studying more, practicing more of what he’s caught here and there. But he hates how little passion he has when it’s about doing things he doesn’t want to do. And the more time passes the less his little challenges work, the less ‘do this so you can do that’ rings true inside his head.

So, Jisung writes. He gathers with Chan and Changbin and they work on some songs. They finally finish ‘Hellevator’. They write ‘My Pace’ and they start working on ‘Untitled’. Now, ‘My Pace’ is fun. And Jisung knows he’ll never forget the day they finally had all the verses down and Chan played the track loud inside his room while Jisung and Changbin lost it at the back.

But then… Well. _Exams._ Ew.

Jisung does… _Is barely alright a thing…?_

“Hey,” he greets Hyunjin as the both of them plop down at the usual table. Two weeks of hell and all they talked about was through text and it had something to do Bivariate Distributions.

“Heeeeyyyyyy,” Hyunjin says, stretching his arms out on the table in front of him.

“Your roots are showing,” Jisung mumbles, eyes on the white board at the front of the classroom.

“Should I go back to black, d’ya think?” 

“I was thinking of going blonde, actually,” Jisung kind of suggests.

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery~”

Jisung finally glances over. “Hm… How… How have you been…?”

Hyunjin rests his chin on his arm as he smiles over. “Busy. Good. You…?”

“Uhm… Same, I guess.” Jisung peeks at the teacher once she walks in and then crosses his arms over the table to lower his head over them and be at Hyunjin’s level. “Chan was thinking about gathering everyone again so we can finish that haunted house series… Wanna come?”

Hyunjin nods small, before huffing a small laugh like he can’t believe what he says next, “Actually missed your stupid face, so yeah.”

Jisung blinks. He bites at his upper lip when he feels the damn thing trying to stretch into a smile. “Hm… Missed me, huh?” he teases in a whisper as he ignores how warm his ears feel all of a sudden.

“You make me laugh,” Hyunjin mumbles. “Been stressed, so. Yeah.”

“Well, then I’ll offer you better,” Jisung grins. _Why are we whispering like this is a secret…?_ “Stay over? I’ll let you play on your ugly Minecraft world. _And_ you’ll be the first to hear _Hellevator’s_ finished version, along with the other song we wrote and recorded.”

Hyunjin blinks, before his eyes seem to light up a little and he scoots closer to whisper excitedly. “You finished it…?”

“Yep. And we wrote another one. It’s called ‘My Pace’.”

“Also super deep and emotional?”

“Sort of?” Jisung squints. _Why… are… we… so… close..._ “More… uplifting, I think. So, uhm, are we, like, gonna kiss or something?” he jokes, laughing softly when he puckers his lips. Hyunjin is smiling even as his eyes go wide and he leans his head back, scoffing small and shaking his head. “Nooooo--” Jisung whines, chasing him with puckered lips.

“Idiot,” Hyunjin mumbles, holding his hand to Jisung’s face to push him away. “Now, shh, this is a place of learning.”

Jisung feels Hyunjin’s palm squish his lips and frowns, slowly poking the tip of his tongue out and giving him a lick, which makes Hyunjin yelp pretty loud. “Hm, salty,” Jisung says as he smacks his lips.

“Mr. Han,” the teacher calls, making Jisung jump in his seat.

“Yes?!” he squeaks as he turns towards the front of the classroom.

The teacher sighs as she flips through a couple of papers. “Stop trying to kiss your colleague and do pay attention to class.”

“Uuuugh,” Hyunjin groans softly, hiding his face in his hands when everyone turns around and looks at them.

“My germs are kissing your skin at the moment…” Jisung mutters, somehow pretty happy with himself. Even when Hyunjin almost shoves him off his chair.

“Mr. Hwang, Mr. Han, _please_ …”

“Sorry,” they say in sync, and apparently that’s ‘cute’, seeing as a random girl coos at them.

* * *

**Hyunjin**

Everyone made it to Chan’s, Jisung’s and Changbin’s to finish watching ‘The Haunting of Bly Manor’. What nobody expected, though, was for such a spooky-looking show to actually just be masking a love story. It’s beautiful and heartbreaking, and Hyunjin finds himself totally engrossed, eyes on the screen as he pinches at his lip. The only thing that comes through, as one of the characters, Jamie, sobs by the side of the lake, is that she isn’t crying alone. Hyunjin blinks to the side and sees Jisung there, sobbing uncontrollably as he tries to wipe his face clean of tears. 

_What the…_

Changbin keeps patting Jisung's thigh, occasionally giving him looks while also looking like he might cry at any second. But Jisung doesn’t seem to care about whether or not Changbin is trying to comfort him. Jisung’s eyes are stuck on the TV even as he keeps crying.

Hyunjin knows he _could_ cry, that he sort of wants to, but he can’t really… cry in front of other people. Tear up, sure, but cry? The way Jisung is? No way. Still, it’s oddly touching that Jisung doesn’t seem to care about showing so much emotion. So, Hyunjin smiles small and scoots closer, mouthing a ‘I got this’ to Changbin and moving a hand to the back of Jisung’s head to pull him closer so he can cry into Hyunjin’s shoulder. He doesn’t expect the guy to cling back a little, so he pouts and keeps petting and scratching lightly at his hair, ignoring the stirring inside his chest when Jisung moves his arms to his waist to cling some more.

_Who knew the guy was such a romantic…_

“There, there,” Hyunjin soothes with a soft smile, keeping his eyes on the show’s credits. Everyone is sort of crying at this point, and Hyunjin just pouts as his chest stirs at it all. He’s always been a sucker for a great love story, especially if they’re just a little bit tragic. 

“Well that was… something,” Sua offers from the floor, she, too, busy trying to wipe off a couple of tears. At that, Jisung sobs some more and hides his face in the crook of Hyunjin’s shoulder. Hyunjin’s heart squeezes a little, because, _well_ , it’s quite intimate, isn’t it? Comforting someone like this.

“You bait them in with the ghosts,” Felix says. “And then make them cry big gay tears. It’s amazing.”

Hyunjin laughs softly and leans back to peek at Jisung’s face, reaching forward to pinch a tear away from the side of his eye. Jisung is mostly tears and snot that he keeps trying to sniffle away, but when he can’t, Hyunjin just pulls him in again. _Pet, pet, pet_. 

“I want a love like that but without the tragic bit,” Felix says, voice just a little tight.

“Well,” Minho says, his voice sounding perfectly fine, “First you need a lover.”

“Not necessarily,” Chan mumbles. “Sometimes the love comes first.”

“That’s deep,” Minho chuckles.

“Thanks, I try,” Chan scoffs and pouts over at Felix, before pulling the boy in to comfort him.

“I guess I’m crying myself to sleep tonight,” Siyeon grumbles.

“Y’know,” Minho says with a sigh, “I think that the true tragedy of Dani and Jamie resides in the fact that… Dani almost got married to someone she didn’t really love, someone she didn’t want to spend the rest of her life with, simply because of peer pressure. The guy kept asking, everyone kept saying they’d end up together and that he was perfect because he’d been there all along. I wonder how many girls actually relate to that… How many times can you say no before you doubt your resolution? How many times can you tell yourself, ‘no I don’t want this’ only to have the people around you try to convince you that you do. She would have been terribly unhappy and his death saved her. And when she finally found herself, all those years later, she… had to give it up for the sake of saving everyone else. _That_ is the tragedy.”

Changbin stares, and, well, so does everybody else, Hyunjin included and Jisung excluded, but Changbin is the only one to actually say anything; “Who _are_ you, dude?”

Minho blinks over. “Hm? Ah, I’m just a random guy.”

“You looked bored to death throughout that show but _that’s_ what you were thinking about in that thick skull of yours?” Changbin practically gapes and Hyunjin scoffs softly, distracted by how soft Jisung’s hair feels between his fingers. “ _What..._ ” 

“Why the tone of surprise?”

“It’s _allowed_ ,” Changbin says, sticking out his tongue and leaning forward to stop Netflix when it wants to show them the preview for something else. “Shit, it’s, like, close to 1AM already?”

Minho blinks down at his phone that’s on the floor between his legs and presses the home button. “Hm, yes… I’d offer to take you home but alas. You’re already home.”

“You can take _me_ home,” Sua sniffles as she sits up.

“Yah, must you flirt with everyone?” Siyeon laughs.

“It’s fine,” Minho says with a strange little smile, “I’m impermeable to that kind of flirting.”

“The kind from women?” Hyunjin teases.

“I’m not _that_ picky, Hyunjin.”

“Would’a fooled me,” Hyunjin mumbles, glancing down at Jisung’s fluffy hair. “Er, I’ll stay for a bit, don’t worry about me.”

Minho looks at the sniffly mess that is Jisung and then looks at Hyunjin like he wants to tell him something. Being the way he is, though, Minho just stares for a couple of seconds and then turns to Felix. “What about you? Are you staying or are you coming?”

“Pretty sure he can do bo--Ow!” Changbin whines, Chan’s foot having stomped over his.

Jisung sniffles some more and then leans back to wipe at his face. He’s so puffy and red it’s… kind of cute, _ugh_. “So--Sorry,” he mumbles, “I wet your shirt…”

“Ya, you did,” Hyunjin scolds playfully. “You’ll have to buy me a new one, you nuisance.”

“Wait, lemme show you guys out,” Chan smiles, standing up as the girls gather their things with Minho and Seungmin’s help, Jeongin already carrying things back to the kitchen. “Thank y’all for coming, seriously. It’s nice to have the house so full.”

“What do--Ugh,” Jisung sniffles. “What do you _mean?”_ he asks Chan, eyes still sort of leaking, “You live with Changbinie and I!”

“You don’t take much space,” Chan teases and Hyunjin giggles a little, which earns him a half-hearted smack on the arm from Jisung.

“Wow, that actually _almost_ hurt,” Hyunjin gasps playfully. 

“When gerbils attack,” Seungmin jokes.

“Shuddup!” Jisung whines, lowering his face into his hands. “I’m… not gonna recover from this any time soon.”

Hyunjin smiles, distracted looking at Jisung ( _why_ ) as people say their goodbyes and leave. “Wanna have some tea and process it?”

Jisung lifts his head and glances over. “I don’t mind, yeah, while you… poke some blocks.”

“Hard, with a cooked salmon,” Hyunjin nods with a smile that grows at Jisung’s expression.

“I seriously can’t wait to see what you’ll do when you figure out how to reach the Nether…” Jisung scoffs, sniffling a bit and then shaking his head.

“No idea, but worth it if it makes you laugh,” Hyunjin says, ignoring the slight shyness once he does. “Go wash your face, idiot, I’ll meet you on your bed,” he winks. _I keep doing this, why do I KEEP DOING THIS--_

“Mmm,” Jisung goes, leaning back and wiggling his eyebrows. “That sounded so kinky ~”

“Wait ‘till I hit you with a cooked salmon,” Hyunjin scoffs, standing up and stretching out with a small sound. When… Did everyone leave..? What… _How was I_ that _distracted_? “I think we scared everyone with our blatant kinkiness...”

Jisung sniffles and looks around. “Heh?” They only spot Chan giving them a shy wave before he disappears into the bedroom hall. “Oh…”

They get tea, chocolate tea at that, something Hyunjin had never heard of but that apparently belongs to Felix’s stash of exotic teas that Jisung occasionally raids. The bedroom is a little cold because Jisung forgot his window open. So, after rushing to close it, he hands Hyunjin a blanket and says that he’s just going to the bathroom to change and wash his face.

Hyunjin does the same once Jisung comes back to set up Minecraft for them. And, then, it’s tea and blocks and random conversations about the show they watched and other things. It’s oddly relaxing, to just gather resources and mine as he gets to know a bit more about someone; someone he finds more and more intriguing by the day.

Jisung’s room isn’t the tidiest of places. It’s not dirty, but it’s kind of messy; the bed isn’t made, some ironed clothes are folded over a chair instead of being in the closet. Seriously, only Hyunjin’s bag seems to be conveniently tucked away under the bed. Everything else? Out for the world to see. Still, maybe that’s just how Jisung organizes himself. Maybe he _understands_ his mess. It’s not an uncommon trait to have.

However, an untidy bedroom also means one thing: Jisung didn’t change his bedsheets. Which is exactly why Hyunjin gets whiplash when he finally collapses over the nest that is the mattress and gets punched in the chest by Jisung’s scent. _It’s everywhere!_

Hyunjin’s throat goes a little dry, because, _well_ … It smells nice. Which means _Jisung_ smells nice, and now that’s apparently all Hyunjin’s gay ass can focus on. It’s not like he didn’t know this already, but he thought that perfume was behind Jisung’s addicting scent. But nope, apparently that’s all him… _What sort of animal…_?

“Wheeee--” _Plop,_ Jisung goes as he throws himself onto the bed in the available space next to Hyunjin and makes everything bounce a little. “What time is it…? Like, three?”

“Uhm,” Hyunjin says, _eloquent_ , blinking himself back to reality to lift his head and glance at his phone on the nightstand. “Yeah, three forty. How did that happen?” he laughs, letting his head fall back again. _Ugh, he smells so BOY in the best way, I’m dying_.

“Tomorrow Imma teach ya how to rap to ‘My Pace’,” Jisung says as he props himself up on both elbows and fits his chin between his hands.

Hyunjin smiles over at him, eyebrow quirking up. “That’s quite a lot of faith you have in me.”

“I’m an amazing teacher,” Jisung chirps. And, suddenly, flops around to face the ceiling and yell, _“Amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing!”_ , his voice cracking all over.

“Shhh,” Hyunjin laughs, turning to his side to put his hand over Jisung’s mouth. _Oh, god, is he going to lick me again?_ “We literally just saw that it’s three in the morning, _shuddup_.”

But no, Jisung just pauses for a moment and then narrows his eyes and wiggles his eyebrows. Hyunjin rolls his eyes with a smile and lets go, wiping his hand off on Jisung’s arm.

“I can’t believe I’ve had your snot on my chest and your saliva on my hand,” Hyunjin scoffs.

“Why is that so hard to believe?” Jisung scoffs, turning on his side to stare.

“It’s worse that it isn’t that hard to believe,” Hyunjin laughs. “And _yet_ ,” he sighs, glancing away when he sees Jisung still staring. “Had no idea you were such a cry baby…”

“Yah…” Jisung warns. “It’s not about being a cry baby, that shit was sad as fuck! What about you? You and your friend Minho are like--Like! Cold hearted! Not even one tear!”

“Oh, Minho’s dead inside,” Hyunjin scoffs. “I’m just… _Eh._ I was really sad!” he defends. “I was, I just… can’t cry in front of people.”

Jisung frowns. “Why not…?”

Hyunjin shrugs with one shoulder, wiggling a little where he’s lying. “Vulnerability? Who knows. I appreciate seeing it, though; it’s like you were crying for the both of us.”

“Why do I feel like you’re looking down on me…?”

“What?” Hyunjin blinks, eyes going a little wide. “Oh, no, no, no, _no,_ not at all, seriously,” he laughs softly. “I cry all the time, dude. I’ll probably remember that episode on a random day in the shower and sob like a baby, I’m really not judging you.”

Jisung squints some more. “Hmm…”

“I’m noooot,” Hyunjin whines with a pout.

“Fine,” Jisung humphs, turning away to grab at the covers and _tug them harshly_ to wiggle himself inside underneath. Hyunjin almost rolls onto the floor. “Come join me. It’s nice in here.”

“Two broooooos, underneath a duvet,” Hyunjin sings as he wiggles himself underneath. _If I don’t breathe deeply, I won’t smell it, and I’ll eventually pass out and die. It’s a win win._

“Oh shush,” Jisung laughs as he lets himself sink until only his head is popping out from under the covers. “So! I have a question for you.”

“Oh, boy, alright,” Hyunjin says, bringing the covers down-- _away from the nose, cease!_ \--and crossing his arms over it. “Shoot.”

“Would you have done it?” Jisung asks, now rather softly. “Would you have sacrificed an entire life of happiness to save a couple of people, mostly a little girl, only to be left with five, stressful yet somehow happy years, never really knowing which day could be your last.”

Hyunjin frowns softly, eyes scanning Jisung’s face. “I don’t… Think she knew that’s what she was doing…? I know that isn’t what you asked,” he laughs softly. “I’m just already trying to think of alternatives, uhm… I don’t know..? I’m selfish… And like, _balloons_ scare me so I don’t know how I’d do with a murderous ghost...”

“Balloons?” Jisung peeks over. “That’s… kinda cute.”

“Shush,” Hyunjin chuckles. “People in school used to sneak up to me and pop them next to my head, it was awful.” He smiles, though, when he asks, “Would you have…?”

“Huh?” Jisung peeks by the corner of his eye. “No. Fuck that. I will only have one chance at life as a human. So… gotta be as selfish as I can, as long as it doesn’t cause much trouble for others. Besides! I’m sure that… Jellyfishes don’t fall in love.” A pause. “I wanna be a jellyfish in my next life,” Jisung says as he melts a little.

“But then you won’t be able to fall in love,” Hyunjin points out, poking Jisung over the covers. “And why a _jellyfish_? They sting people.”

Jisung sighs. “I wanna be a jellyfish, that’s why I’m saying I have to fall in love in this life, not the next.”

“Right,” Hyunjin says, rolling his eyes.

“I wanna just… I just wanna be able to float around the ocean when I’m reborn…”

“You’re so weird,” Hyunjin teases, with more fondness than he would have liked, but probably _just_ the right amount. “I’ll make sure to catch you and eat you well.”

“Heh?!” Jisung looks over. “What? Why would you do that?!”

Hyunjin barks a laugh, hiding it so he doesn’t wake up the whole damn house. “S--Sorry, it’s just-- _your face_ ,” he giggles, feeling his ears go red.

“Why would you just--” Jisung frowns and jumps into a seating position to grab a pillow and slam it over Hyunjin. “You can’t just eat a peaceful jellyfish! Why would you eat me when I’m just vibing!?”

“Punishment for your transgressions,” Hyunjin jokes through a giggle.

“What transgressions?!” Jisung screeches as he throws both an arm and a leg over the burrito that is Hyunjin and squeezes and wiggles him.

“Shut _up_!” Hyunjin laughs, trying to reach up to shut this idiot up. “Waking up the whole damn house, for one!”

It takes a while and they wrestle for a bit until Jisung gives up and settles down. Hyunjin tries not to think too much about the fact that, _well…_ Jisung is kind of clinging to his back, arm around him, cheek pressed right between his shoulder blades. Hyunjin wants to tense up, wants to scold himself and scold Jisung, too. But instead, he carefully settles into it, arm resting over where Jisung’s arm is around him.

_Why is he CUDDLING ME? Ugh…_

All Hyunjin can hope, really, is that Jisung doesn’t realise what he’s doing and doesn’t push Hyunjin away, and that Jisung doesn’t feel how loudly Hyunjin’s heart is beating.

_Fuck me, I guess._

* * *

**Jisung**

Jisung stirs awake when he tries to turn in his sleep and realizes he’s stuck. He frowns and lifts his head as he struggles to blink so he can focus, and it takes him a moment to realize that he’s quite literally spooning Hwang Hyunjin. _Huh…?_ It’s definitely not a one sided interaction either, because Hyunjin is _quite literally_ holding Jisung’s arms around him. _Huh?!_

Slowly, Jisung tries to pull away, just enough to lift himself up and look around the dark room and then down to Hyunjin’s still very asleep self. _He’s pretty when he sleeps, too,_ Jisung finds himself thinking, tilting his head as he squints down at Hyunjin’s face. Pretty people really are something, aren’t they? They exist in a state of beauty at all times; a constant state of beauty. _Hyunjin probably looks all sorts of beautiful while he’s taking a hard shit, and I’m kind of jealous..._

As if Hyunjin can tell he’s being watched, he shifts slightly, Jisung’s eyes going a little wide as he thinks that the idiot might be _about to wake up--Right now?!_ But Hyunjin just turns around in his sleep, in Jisung’s arms, to nuzzle himself against Jisung’s chest like he’s a giant teddy bear, their legs tangling. Jisung’s chest immediately fills with warm stirring and he finds himself frozen in time as his face gets hotter and hotter.

It’s instinct, or at least that’s what Jisung would like to blame it on, when he sort of lets his arms close around Hyunjin to hold him closer and tighter. Suddenly, there is something quite vulnerable and fragile between Jisung’s arms and he can’t help it, the feeling of protectiveness that possesses him to cling a little bit as he drops his head onto the pillow and lowers his face to Hyunjin’s hair.

 _He smells nice,_ Jisung thinks. _Kinda sweet. Kind of…_ _Addicting_. And it’s with that thought in head that he lets himself fall back asleep. He’s never fallen this easily and this peaceful into a conscience of nothingness.

* * *

**Hyunjin**

Hyunjin wakes up after the _oddest_ dream of a picnic on a beach, with a boy who smelled like what velvet feels to the touch and insisted that the food he made from what looks entirely like gold and jewels was totally edible and safe to eat. Hyunjin laughed and said no, so the boy kept pulling out differently shaped and colored jewels that smelled like different types of sweets, like oaky woods and clear ocean waters, until Hyunjin finally let himself take the beautiful jewels he apparently wanted so badly, and watched it turn to glittery sand, the same on which they were holding their picnic. It was so _strange_ and it takes Hyunjin a while to remember that it didn’t actually happen, because he _swears_ he can still smell that velvety touch.

He blinks his eyes open, closing his hand around what feels like a t-shirt, and it’s with that small movement that Hyunjin realises where he is.

 _Oh. So that part_ was _real…_

Hyunjin’s chest aches as he carefully glances up and sees Han Jisung _right there_ , face cutely puffy with sleep and hair a complete mess. And Hyunjin swallows a little when a clear but stray thought infiltrates his sleepy mind, when he realises that he’s never really been able to look at Jisung’s face without it having some stupid expression on it. He’s never really been able to see the pretty shape of his lips or the squishiness of his nose and cheeks.

 _Oh, this is bad. This is really, really bad_.

“Jisung,” Hyunjin whispers, for apparently a few reasons. One) he’s curious. He wants to know what Jisung will do about the fact that he spooned and then _held_ the guy he met in Stats, and two) it’s funny, isn’t it? The face Jisung makes when Hyunjin squishes slightly at his side. Hyunjin bites his lips in to not giggle, whispering a little louder; “ _Jiiiiisuuuuuung_.”

There’s a frown that precedes a very low whine. And then Han Jisung startles awake like he’s been electrocuted. He lifts his head and Hyunjin swears it looks like the guy is in pain, what with the way he’s looking around the dawn-lit bedroom. But then Jisung notices Hyunjin between his arms and looks at him, _blinks_ at him even, before loosening the grip around him and finally letting him go.

“Sorry…” he huffs, shivering when he pulls away just a little, quickly shoving his arms under the covers and curling in a bit as he wiggles closer to Hyunjin.

“It’s fine,” Hyunjin laughs softly, and for _some goddamn reason_ , he just can’t stop smiling.

“S’till early,” Jisung mumbles as he melts and closes his eyes.

“N’aw, then come here so we can sleeeep~,” Hyunjin teases in a coo, putting his arms under the covers to wiggle closer and try to worm them around Jisung. _Payback._

“Hmmmm,” Jisung goes, eyes still closed. “Waaaarm…”

Here Hyunjin thought after _that_ little display, Jisung would complain, but… he doesn’t, and Hyunjin is stubborn even in his own teasing jokes, so he keeps his arms loosely around Jisung while squinting at him in amusement. _You’re so… odd_ . _Do you cuddle all your friends like this…?_

Somehow, peace doesn’t last long. Because after being face to face for a couple of minutes, Jisung mostly sleeping and Hyunjin mostly squinting, Jisung puckers his lips and makes a loud kissing sound even though his eyes are _still_ closed.

“Are we gonna kish now?” he asks as he peeks one eye open.

“Pssh,” Hyunjin goes, ignoring the (admittedly painful) small stab at his heart, shoving Jisung’s annoying ass just a little away.

“Oh, no, I’ve been rejected ~” Jisung whines as he stretches. “Hnnnn! Oh, that’s good.”

Hyunjin scoffs a laugh, hand scratching slightly at his chest as he stares at the ceiling. _He doesn’t know, he’s just being stupid…_ “The way you said that makes it sound like you have a rejection kink…”

“Or trauma,” Jisung huffs.

“Same difference, sometimes.”

“Ew, why would I kink my traumas?” Jisung asks with a laugh as he glances over. _He’s so puffy in the morning..._

Hyunjin shrugs a little. “You think it’s unusual to have someone with abandonment and self worth trauma have a praise kink? Because it’s not.”

“Okay…? Well, it’s too early in the morning to discuss kinks but we can try again later, if you’d like.”

“Only if you tell me yours,” Hyunjin grins over.

“Will you tell me yours if I tell you mine?” Jisung asks, eyes all innocent.

Hyunjin rolls his eyes. “Traumas or kinks?”

“Same difference, sometimes,” Jisung grins.

“Touche,” Hyunjin laughs, shoving at Jisung for no real reason as he turns to his side. “I’m going to smell like you the _whole day_ ,” Hyunjin ‘complains’.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing…”

 _Oh, glad it came off that way._ “But now _nobody_ will ask me to borrow my eraser,” Hyunjin jokes, stretching out and flopping to lie on his stomach.

“Ugh,” Jisung goes as he sits up. His hair is so fluffy it moves and flops and waves all over, like it has a life of its own. Hyunjin _really_ wants to touch it... “Like you need them to,” Jisung mumbles.

“Gonna _insist_ you elaborate on that,” Hyunjin grins, flopping a hand over to pick up a strand of Jisung’s hair. He remembers it being really soft, the night before, when he had to comfort this idiot after the ghost turned horror show.

“Well, either you’re a big old narcissist who enjoys having people fawn over you _constantly,_ or you don’t give two shits about the girls who keep batting their eyelashes at you. Because if you gave two shits, you’d have done something about it, but you just act like they asked you about the weather or something,” Jisung spills like he’s grumbling.

Hyunjin raises an eyebrow, amused. This guy keeps calling him attractive in the _weirdest_ ways that somehow mean so much more. “So… Only you’re allowed to be picky?”

“I didn’t… _say_ that…” Jisung says with a frown. “I’m just saying that… you don’t seem to care that much about whether or not people ask you for your eraser, so it doesn’t really matter.”

Hyunjin rolls his eyes, smiling. “It’s just an eraser, Jisung.”

“I hate what you’re trying to imply,” Jisung mutters as he shoves a finger into Hyunjin’s cheek.

Hyunjin giggles. “You’re the one who made it a metaphor. And I’m not a _narcissist_ \--” he defends, slapping Jisung’s poking finger away. “Believe it or not, being ‘the pretty boy’ isn’t _always_ the best thing to be.”

“That’s like saying that being rich isn’t always good,” Jisung deapans.

“True, my face _is_ my money-maker,” Hyunjin jokes with a laugh. “Look, I don’t mind it! It’s just… I don’t know,” he huffs, turning back onto his side. _Why am I so wiggly?!_

“It’s fine,” Jisung sighs as he pats his entire hand onto Hyunjin’s face, like a slap but softer. _Why must my heart betray me like this…_ “You’re pretty. You’re probably tired of hearing it all the time so it probably means nothing to you but… You’re pretty.” _Pat, pat, pat._

Hyunjin swallows past a tight feeling and smiles, looking away. “Yeah, yeah, you too…” _That’s casual, right? Right_.

“Damn,” Jisung scoffs. “My scent really messed you up, huh? It’s changing your judgment for my benefit. Coooool.”

Hyunjin rolls his eyes, still smiling. “Yes, you rubbed off on me like a dog claiming territory,” he jokes.

“Oh, I can do better!” Jisung says with a sudden evil grin as he turns in a bounce and throws himself over Hyunjin. _Why must he take literally everything as a challenge?!_

“Geddoff!” Hyunjin complains with a laugh, pinching at Jisung’s sides.

“Noooooo!” Jisung whines as he clings. He manages to climb on top of Hyunjin and hold onto him like a monkey would hold onto a tree. “Noooooo! Must claim territory!”

“HAN JISUNG!” Hyunjin squeaks, barking a loud laugh when he tries to pry Jisung off and hears a small, menacing, “ _Miiiine_.”

“CAN YOU TWO SHUT THE HELL UP?!” Changbin screeches from (probably) his bedroom, which just makes Hyunjin laugh even more. 

Jisung pauses for a moment, lifting himself up to glance at the door. Hyunjin is still losing it but he quiets down the moment Jisung looks down at him. They’re both kind of aware of the situation they’re in, and they can either get flustered about it and make a big deal out of it or… 

Well…

Jisung throws his head back to breathe in and then dives in to cling some more. “Not done yet!” he yells, pasting his cheek to Hyunjin’s cheek to rub them together.

Hyunjin whines even as he laughs.

_And it was at that moment that he realised…_

_He fucked up._

_He went and got a massive crush on a straight guy. AGAIN._

* * *

**Jisung**

There’s a song at the back of his head. A song Jisung can’t stop humming to himself on his way to class. It’s not ‘My Pace’ or ‘Hellevator’ or any of the other songs he tried to teach Hyunjin how to rap. It’s not even part of the list of songs they jammed to like crazy. But it’s loud and it keeps bouncing off the walls of Jisung’s skull. So, obviously, the first thing he does when he spins his way into the classroom is look at Hyunjin, who’s already looking at his little dramatic display, and reach out with his arm even though they’re two meters apart and sing.

 _“Ooooh! Kiss meeee ~”_ Jisung dramatizes, spinning closer to Hyunjin and ignoring the looks a couple of girls give him, _“Beneath the milky twilight; Lead meeee ~ Out on the moonlit floor!”_

Hyunjin has that amused face of his that he always appears to be wearing near Jisung, trying not to laugh and ( _bless his heart_ ) playing along. “ _Lift your open hand…?”_ he sings like he might have the lyrics wrong, hand up like he’s salting a steak.

_“Strike up the band and make the fireflies dance; Silver moon’s sparkling ~”_

“Mr. Han,” the teacher says from right behind him. _Hm?_

“So, _kiss--_ Yes?” Jisung goes, immediately turning around to face her. He goes a bit livid when his idiot brain realises that ‘teacher’ means ‘teacher’, the person he’s supposed to answer to in class, and not just another classmate. Yes, that makes no sense to most people, but it’s not even nine in the morning and Jisung’s brain takes a bit of time to catch up. Connecting words to meanings is hard work.

“This is Statistics, not Singing Class,” the teacher says, apparently as amused as Hyunjin was not a moment ago.

“Sorry about him, ma’am,” Hyunjin teases, putting his hands on Jisung’s shoulders to lead him to their table. “He puts too much sugar in his coffee,” he whispers over.

“I do _not,”_ Jisung grumbles even as he lets himself be manhandled. 

It’s in the tiniest voice, though, that Hyunjin sings once they sit down; “ _So kiss me~_ ” He giggles. “Aish, I hate you, that’s going to be stuck in my mind the whole day.”

“It’s been stuck in my head since I woke up, so now you suffer with me,” Jisung scoffs as he pulls his bag over the table. And the thing about what comes out of his mouth most of the time is that not much is thought through the proper way. “But keep asking and I might just kiss you ~” he teases with a grin over at Hyunjin.

Hyunjin makes a slightly mocking face right back. “Don’t make _my_ prettiness _my_ problem.”

“Don’t make my ugliness your problem,” Jisung scoffs. _Wait. What? I’m gorg!_

Hyunjin scoffs a laugh he hides behind his hand, glancing up to make sure the teacher didn’t hear that. “I was--I was going to make a joke about how that wouldn’t be possible, but your _face_ ,” he laughs. “I could _see_ you figure out what you said, it’s amazing.”

“Oh, well, what can I say,” Jisung sighs. “Gotta stay humble. And the truth is that I’m quite handsome.”

Hyunjin makes a small noise of agreement as he takes out his Blackpink notebook, and Jisung watches him suspiciously for a couple of minutes, quickly forgetting about the reason why he was looking at him in the first place and finally looking away when the teacher makes them solve a couple of exercises.

For the next two hours, Jisung manages to stay relatively quiet, only mumbling the results to the problems they’re solving whenever the teacher asks them to answer collectively. And, occasionally, he’ll hear Hyunjin softly humming to ‘Kiss Me’. Which is why, once the class ends, Jisung stretches and throws himself over Hyunjin while screaming the lyrics to the song once again.

Jisung is so distracted trying to be silly that he barely notices Hyunjin picking up his rubber from _Jisung’s_ desk. _Wait, was it here all along? Did he place it on my desk?!_ He stares at the rubber, pausing for a moment but letting himself pout. “Aw…” he goes, “Why did that make me feel all sorts of soft…?”

Hyunjin puts the rubber away, with considerable effort, considering there is a person practically on top of him, and Jisung watches as Hyunjin’s ears go red. “Thought it would be funny,” he mumbles, as if embarrassed. “Aish, get off, people are staring…”

“It wasn’t,” Jisung mumbles, purposely melting over Hyunjin like butter on steak. “But it was very romantic, I’m all soft…” Jisung then turns to the entire class (or to whomever hasn’t left yet) and shouts, “Ya’ll, Hyunjinie’s rubber is mine!”

“I don’t know who this is,” Hyunjin says as he stands up, pointing at Jisung as he turns to leave. “Never seen him before in my life.”

Jisung gasps dramatically and stands up as well, blindly reaching for his backpack to pull it over his shoulder. “Hah?! Yah! That’s so rude!”

“Someone should probably shut this _random stranger_ up,” Hyunjin jokes as he keeps walking.

“Well!” Jisung goes, running a little to catch up and throwing himself onto Hyunjin’s arm. “I can think of a couple of ways--” he says and then puckers his lips and pulls Hyunjin closer for a cheek smooch that Hyunjin keeps avoiding by tilting his head further and further away.

“You’re so _annoying!_ ” Hyunjin whines through a laugh, reaching over to fight back by ruffling the ever living _shit_ out of Jisung’s hair. _What am I, a kid?!_

“YAH!” Jisung explodes, arms up to emphasize. And that’s how he ends up chasing Hyunjin down two flights of stairs and an entire corridor. _Fucker has long legs…_

* * *

**Hyunjin**

Having a crush on Han Jisung is _exhausting_ . The man doesn’t relent! He’s like a parasitic organism, pushed to the point of death from a lack of _smooches_ that he’s now apparently desperately trying to squeeze out of Hyunjin. Which, _hey, not opposed to the notion_ , but does he have to be so… so…

“ _Ugh_ ,” Hyunjin groans, grabbing handfuls of his own hair and staring at the wooden floors of the dance studio. “He’s _straight_ , why is he _doing this to me_ ,” he keeps whining, letting himself melt to the floor in a pile of useless gay. And that judgy look on Minho’s face? Yeah, he deserves that.

“He’s straight?” Minho questions. “He told you that himself, did he?”

“Yes,” Hyunjin huffs, letting his arms flop uselessly to the side. “Rather explicitly, if I remember correctly.”

“He doesn’t behave the way most straight men do.”

“Yes, nature is healing, toxic masculinity is out of _style_. It’s great. Except when I’m the gay martyr of it all.”

“You’re only a martyr because you want to be a martyr.”

Hyunjin slowly sits up, without using his arms; like Dracula waking from his coffin and _ascending._ He squints at Minho. “What is _that_ supposed to mean?”

“Hm,” Minho blinks. “Not sure. But I think a lot could be avoided if, I don’t know, you told him that you’re gay, for starters.”

“There are two people on this planet who know I’m gay, and you’re one of them, so,” Hyunjin says. “Not really sure what my point was there…”

Minho sighs and melts onto the floor. “Are you scared he’ll judge you? Have you seen his group of friends?”

Hyunjin shakes his head because that’s obviously not it, even if it takes him a moment to think of what it could be. “He’s a straight dude, telling me how pretty I am while constantly making jokes about kissing me. You of all people should get why that doesn’t put me in the most comfortable of positions…”

“I, of all people, know you need to stop letting other people take advantage of you,” Minho mumbles. “You let that other asshole use you. And while I don’t think that’s entirely your fault, it’s also not Jisung’s fault. Maybe being honest with him would save you from a lot of pain.”

Hyunjin pouts small, glancing to the side and catching his reflection. _Hey, idiot._ “Is it bad that I’m just… hoping he’s not actually straight..? _Ugh_ ,” Hyunjin falls back again. _What a familiar feeling. I hate it._

“I don’t wanna give you hope because maybe he is just a straight guy who enjoys being silly like that. But…” Minho blinks lazily at the ceiling. “Hm… Y’know? _Hm.”_

“Say ‘bicurious’ and I’ll kick you.”

“I don’t think Han Jisung is bicurious. I think Han Jisung is developing a crush on you while not even realizing it. Which, honestly? Kind of offensive. When you’re literally friends with me.”

Hyunjin’s pout grows. “He pet my cheek and called me pretty.”

Minho sighs and glances over. “Let’s do this; if he’s actually just playing with your feelings, I’ll kill him. I’ll even make it look like an accident. I’ll take him hiking.”

Hyunjin sighs wistfully. “Oh, Minho. You’re such a terrifying human being and a great friend.”

Minho nods like he’s receiving the best of compliments. “See? Both things can be true at once.”

“I’d offer to kill Changbin for you if he hurts your feelings but his arms scare me. Also, he’s a baby and I’m weak.”

“We both know it’s not my feelings you should be worried about,” Minho scoffs.

* * *

**Jisung**

Jisung’s grades are nowhere near where they should be _and_ he’s behind on a couple of assignments. But! He never wanted this in the first place! He’s passing, barely but passing, and he’s doing his assignments whenever he feels like doing them (which means he’ll scruffle a couple of hours before the due date every now and then and then chill until it’s scruffle time once again). He spends half of his time at school, then the remaining of his time at home writing, rapping or gaming. And, in between all of that, he gets to hang out with Hyunjin, whose company is becoming more and more addictive.

There’s really no explanation, no reason why Jisung’s brain suddenly filed Hyunjin’s company as some sort of essential. Maybe it’s the deep chats. Maybe it’s the bickering. But then again, Jisung can do all of that and more with Chan and Changbin. So, why is this different? _Well, no explanation._ The only thing that Jisung knows, for sure, in the little time he’s allowed himself to think about all this, is that… Hyunjin makes Jisung really excited. For what? Well, everything.

Somehow, against all odds, Hyunjin possesses enough qualities and enough flaws that, all summed together in their rightful quantities make it work just fine. And Jisung _hates_ Hyunjin but in a way that makes him smile when he has to think about it or say it.

There’s that, yes. And then there’s the skinship. Sometimes, Jisung’s body just acts on its own and he finds himself clinging to a guy he couldn’t even see without getting angry for quite some time there. Yes, Hyunjin is quite pretty. Yes, Jisung likes staring at him (occasionally). _Yes,_ he would also like to reach out to tuck some of the guy’s hair behind his ear _BUT THAT’S A WHOLE OTHER STORY!_

Or maybe it isn’t.

“Hey,” Jisung greets as he plops down for yet another annoying Stats class.

“I don’t want to be here,” Hyunjin immediately states, glaring at the whiteboard like it did him wrong personally.

“Cool. Me neither. Wanna skip?” Jisung half-heartedly suggests.

Hyunjin nibbles at his bottom lip for a few seconds. “Yeah, let’s go,” he decides, reaching over to grab his rubber off Jisung’s desk ( _he keeps doing that_ ) and standing up. “Come on, quickly!”

Jisung blinks around as he stands back up and pulls his backpack back over his shoulder. He follows after Hyunjin, who peeks out of the classroom to see if the teacher is anywhere nearby and then beckons Jisung to follow after him. They pass a couple of classmates on the way out, and have to run for it when they see their teacher not too far away. It’s a fine day outside today, blue skies and sunny sun. It’s the perfect day to skip and no teacher is going to get in the way of that happening. _No sir._

“So--” Jisung huffs once they reach the front gate. “Where to?”

“No idea,” Hyunjin chirps happily, head tilted up to look at the sky with a smile. “Just didn’t feel like _numbers_. And you’re smart enough to help us both catch up if we need to.”

Jisung blinks. _I am…?_ “Hm, I suppose… _Hmmm,”_ he grins, then, “How about we get you an Americano and then go for a walk?”

Hyunjin sighs wistfully, turning around on the spot to do a little spin. “Ah, he knows me so well~” He spins again but stops halfway to face Jisung and starts walking backwards. He smiles something (apparently) private before he turns around again. “Why do people have sex in cars, do you think?”

“Heh?!” Jisung goes, hesitating for a moment before rushing to catch up. “Er… I don’t… I don’t know.”

“Me neither,” Hyunjin hums. “I was watching something last night and they had a game of Never Have I Ever, and the woman said she’d never had sex in a car before and everyone was so _scandalised_ , and all I could think was, _what, like, in your driveway?!_ ” He laughs. “Who does that!”

Jisung lowers his head and grabs at his chin while he thinks. “Hm… Maybe it’s ‘cause… Y’know, sex is traditionally practiced in a bedroom. In a bed. Anything that breaks those sort of unspoken, traditional rules is seen as edgy or exciting…”

“And uncomfortable, but I suppose so,” Hyunjin huffs.

“Yeah, I don’t think cars are spacious enough for proper sex,” Jisung says with a sigh as he looks up and ahead. _Then again, I’ve never had proper sex so what do I even know..._

“Wouldn’t know,” Hyunjin says, then, shrugging small. “Oh. Did we just unlock that part of this friendship? I think we did,” he laughs.

Jisung blinks slowly at nothing in particular and then whips his head so fast he almost cracks his neck undone. “Huh?! _You_ have never--Oh _no…_ ” Jisung slumps, arms dropping limp. “If you can’t do it then what’s the point of hoping for the likes of me…”

“You _need_ to stop talking like people throw themselves at my feet, begging to be ravished,” Hyunjin laughs.

“You need to stop talking like they don’t!” Jisung whines.

“You’re the person who’s asked me the most, at this point,” Hyunjin scoffs. “ _Anyway_. You’ve never had sex? For real?”

Jisung shakes his head. “No… Which is _a shame_ because I have so many ideas and--You know?!” Jisung points a finger at a giggling Hyunjin. “In my head? It’s fucking great!”

“Lucky girl, I guess,” Hyunjin says, glancing over as if checking something.

Jisung doesn’t know why he buffers for a moment, but he uncurls his finger and quiets down, looking away as he avoids processing what his brain very much wants him to think about. “Well, same could be said about you… or whatever girl you end up dating.”

“Yeeeeeah,” Hyunjin says, in a tone that sounds entirely unconvinced. “I’m sure,” he laughs, then. _What is the joke? What am I missing here?!_ “Sorry, uhm. Do you want an Americano, too?” he asks, then, pointing at the coffee shop they’re approaching.

“Hm?” Jisung blinks up and then shakes his head as he blindly reaches for his wallet in the small compartment of his backpack. “Nah. I’ll pay for yours.”

“Thanks, baby~” Hyunjin teases, snatching the wallet from his hand with a small cackle.

“Aish,” Jisung huffs, dropping his head back but letting the threatening smile creep out. “It’s just an Americano, yah! Just one!”

* * *

**Hyunjin**

Hyunjin gets three donuts and an Americano. If Jisung complains, Hyunjin can’t tell with all the donut Hyunjin has managed to shove into the guy’s mouth. His cheeks go all _poof_ , like a squirrel collecting nuts for the winter, it’s adorable.

For a day that started so badly, it’s improved quite a lot. In his morning practise, Hyunjin messed up a move because of a stupid _cramp_ , and was then subjected to another round of ‘ _see, he’s just here because he’s pretty_ ’. Minho didn’t take that lying down, but Hyunjin just ignored it and told Minho to do the same. He had enough of _that_ when he first joined, and especially from the man he never wants to see again in his entire life.

 _Now there’s a story I don’t enjoy telling_.

“See, it’s good,” Hyunjin smiles, watching Jisung’s face as he chews. “Money well spent, don’t you think?” Jisung just munches all grumbly, upset that he can’t talk with his mouth full. _Cute_ . “Thanks for skipping class with me,” Hyunjin says, taking advantage of the fact that he is practically talking to himself right now. “I needed it and you always make me feel better… Not that that should give you reason to get _smug_ ,” he teases, stuffing even more donut into Jisung’s mouth, who takes it without protesting but frowns all the way as he looks at Hyunjin. It’s so fucking _funny_. “My shoulder hurts,” Hyunjin admits, then. “And I haven’t been sleeping very well and I don’t know why… And when I tried to text you last night, my phone died and I couldn’t find the damn charger and didn’t have the energy to look for it, so. Bad mood. Better now, though,” he smiles, sitting back and just letting Jisung chew. “Thanks…”

 _Munch, munch, munch, munch, frown, frown, frown,_ _look at that specific cheek puff and bounce up and down._

Jisung manages to shove all the contents in his mouth to one side and then scrunches his eyes when he tries to swallow something painful. _“Hoh!”_ he huffs, slumping a little for a second before straightening up again and munching some more, eyes on Hyunjin’s face. “You’re welcome, I guess…” He swallows again and then tilts his head, scooching closer on the bench they’ve taken to reach up and curl some of Hyunjin’s hair behind his ear. It makes Hyunjin’s heart jump into his throat like the idiot he is. _God, Jisung, why do you keep doing things like this…_ But then Jisung just says, “Well, whatever it is, you shouldn’t have to worry about it. I get it, y’know? I don’t like overthinking. So I don’t actively think about things, much. But they’re in here--” he points at his head, “Inside my brain, and they bounce up and down a lot and make me feel things that I can’t understand while also stressing me and keeping me from sleeping at night.”

Hyunjin feels the side of his lips tilt into a smile as he looks down. _Stop making me feel better so easily…_ “Oh? You have stresses?” Hyunjin teases. “Never seems like it, you’re always so bright.”

Jisung huffs a laugh and looks down as he holds his own hand between his legs. “Yeah, well, but that’s a bit unrealistic, isn’t it? Everyone has stresses. Some just… hide it better than others.”

“Or ignore them _really_ well,” Hyunjin laughs softly, reaching back to brush the same hair back behind his ear where Jisung apparently wants it. “I think I get what you mean about having the stresses at the back of your head. Kind of like a program running on your PC that you don’t know about and it just slows the whole thing down.”

“Ooooooh!” Jisung looks up and points two fingers at Hyunjin. “Just right! Very well put!”

“Feel free to steal it and put it in that little notebook of yours,” Hyunjin huffs, pulling his Americano closer for a sip.

“Oh, shush,” Jisung scoffs. “But well, school stresses me because it’s not what I want to be doing. But having to bring that up once again scares me because… Well, the disappointment on my father’s face? I don’t want to have to see it ever again…”

Hyunjin swallows down a slight tightness in his chest and nods. “Yeah, I get that…”

“I also…” Jisung shifts and holds his own hand again as he looks down. “Sometimes, it just so happens that I don’t understand my feelings.” At that, Hyunjin looks up, suddenly interested. He _loves_ when people talk about themselves so openly. “And that… makes me angry. I get frustrated and that frustration leads to anger, which I can understand just fine. But it also… confuses me more. Like when we met. I didn’t really _hate_ you but I kept thinking that I did because you just made me so angry… and I never knew why…”

Hyunjin frowns in amused confusion. “I made you angry because you didn’t understand why I made you angry? Heh?”

Jisung blushes on his cheeks and ears and frowns at the ground. “I honestly don’t… really know. But every time I don’t understand why I’m feeling a certain way I just… get angry. And I take it out on people and-- _Bleh,_ it’s childish.”

Hyunjin smiles small. “Good thing I don’t take anything you say when you’re angry seriously.”

“Yah,” Jisung warns, glancing up with a rather menacing glint to his eye. “You should!”

Hyunjin giggles, taking a sip of his Americano and nodding slowly. “Scaaary,” he teases, staring at his drink for a moment. He should just… Say it, shouldn’t he? It’s not really fair to Jisung that he _hasn’t_ , considering how much time they spend together and all the damn skinship. So he stares at his coffee, flushing red as he says, like that makes any sense within context (it doesn’t); “I’m gay.”

“Mhm…” Jisung goes like he didn’t really hear it, or at least didn't register it the way he should have. It doesn’t take him long, though, to blink really fast and then turn to look at Hyunjin like Hyunjin just told him that he’s a wizard. “Wait. _What?”_

Hyunjin tries not to get anxious ( _ugh_ ), shifting a little where he’s sitting. “I’m, er, gay? Thought you should know, considering how often you try to kiss me or whatever all that’s about… And you were sharing, so...”

Jisung’s eyes are wide. Big, big, _wide._ And he seems to buffer for a moment, this time actually processing the information he’s been given. Hyunjin doesn’t really know what to expect at this point. Jisung’s friends are all LGBT, so it’s not like he can outright _disapprove_ of Hyunjin but… there is always _that_ fear that things will change, that suddenly there will be a wall between them. And, despite Hyunjin’s crush on the guy and despite him knowing full well that that wall _would_ help in that regard, Hyunjin doesn’t… want that. Is that selfish? Or is it masochistic? Maybe both.

“Have I… made you uncomfortable before?” Jisung suddenly says, hands to his knees as he turns to face Hyunjin and bow at him. “I’m sorry… I didn’t know--I just assumed--I’m really sorry.”

Hyunjin blinks fast. _What._ “No!” he squeaks, ears going really red as a few memories pop up. “N--No, you didn’t, it’s fine, really,” he says with a small, nervous laugh. “I mean, I’ve--” _Ugh._ “Had bad experiences before with straight guys, but I know that’s not you, so, really, don’t worry…”

“Bad… experiences?” Jisung asks, eyes all big and bottom lip all pouty.

Hyunjin sips at his drink and licks his lips. This really isn’t what he thought he’d be talking about today, but hey, _hope you’re proud, Minho_ . “Long story short, there was this… guy. I had a crush on him, and I really shouldn’t have. He was an asshole to everyone except for me and my dumb, teenage ass thought that meant I was special,” he huffs bitterly. “He’d always call me pretty. _Too_ pretty, he said, and…” Hyunjin takes a small breath. _Ugh!_ “A month or something before the end of school, he told me he liked me and I was so happy, because I’d made peace with the fact that he was straight. But things… Happened. He asked me to--” Hyunjin frowns, an uncomfortable feeling in his chest and stomach. “To do things, and I did because I wanted to impress him. And then… he pretended I didn’t exist. Didn’t even look at me.” _You’re doing a terrible job of making a long story short, Hyunjin._ “So I confronted him, and he called me a faggot. His friends heard, and then pushed me to the floor, and…” Hyunjin straightens up as if to find the dignity he had lacked back then. “Yeah. Bad experience.”

Jisung just looks… really sad. He’s still looking at Hyunjin with those big eyes of his, but he looks sad. “Well…” he huffs. “You’re actually _not that pretty._ Really ugly, y’know?”

Hyunjin barks a laugh that has his chest swell with warmth, hand over his mouth. “A--Aw,” he tries to coo. “That’s so sweet of you~”

Jisung shrugs and looks down, lips pouty. “And if we ever pass that guy when we’re together, just nudge me. Let me know so I can throw myself at him.”

“Ew, you’re that desperate?” Hyunjin jokes, grinning over like an idiot.

“For a fight? Yeah.”

“Right, you have _anger issues_ , I forgot.”

Jisung sighs but doesn't refute. He looks at his hands and then peeks up, reaching out to place a hand, palm up, over Hyunjin’s thigh and looking at him with a small, reassuring smile. Hyunjin squints between Jisung and his hand, knowing that even in his suspicion he probably looks playful. So, he sighs and drops his hand to Jisung’s, squeezing the damn thing.

“For the donuts.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jisung chuckles.

* * *

**Jisung**

“Put your finger between your lips, or a pen, and try to pronounce things,” Jisung says with laughter in his voice as he shoves the things above his bed to the side and scootches closer to Hyunjin.

Hyunjin raises an eyebrow. “This sounds like a trick.”

“No!” Jisung groans, head back. “It’s just that your massive lips make you mumble most of the words!”

Hyunjin barks a laugh and shoves at him. “Shut _up_ and give me your cleanest pen, you idiot.” Hyunjin pauses. “Nevermind, I don’t trust you,” he says, putting his finger sideways into his mouth. “Ahws ees?”

Jisung laughs and then gestures. “Alright! Go at it!”

“A’u’ing,” Hyunjin tries and laughs, taking his finger out of his mouth to whine. “That’s not _helpiiiing_ , I sound stupid.”

“No you don’t! It’s like the Karate Kid movie!” Jisung enthuses.

“You’re so stupid,” Hyunjin huffs, but puts his finger back into his mouth nonetheless. It doesn’t work for quite a while, in which Jisung has practically _no_ idea what the guy is saying, but he feels his eyebrows go up once he can. “Telling me to give up on my dreams,” he raps, looking just as surprised as Jisung does. “I did ‘i!”

“You did it!” Jisung goes, bouncing on the bed to jump to his knees and glomp Hyunjin into a hug. “You did it!”

Hyunjin giggles. “I’ll practise at home. Now _geddoff_ and lemme teach you something, too.”

Jisung whines as he rolls to the side and then melts a little over the bed. _Why does all this make me so happy…?_ he thinks to himself. But as he’s unable to find an answer in time, he files the thought for later and sits up to look at Hyunjin, who’s already up on his feet and ready to dance like the animal that he is.

“ _If_ you’re interested,” Hyunjin prefaces, stretching one of his arms by hooking the other around it. “I’ve… sort of started figuring out a choreo to Hellevator.”

Jisung blinks and straightens up. “Ohohooooh?!”

Hyunjin flushes red, switching his arms. “Aish, don’t look that excited, it’s making me feel pressured,” he laughs.

“Well, don’t,” Jisung scoffs as he moves to the edge of the bed and then stands up. “I literally know nothing so whatever you teach me will be cool as fuck!”

“Alright,” Hyunjin smiles, apparently now more at ease. “Let’s start with something simple.”

It’s probably _supposed_ to be simple, but Jisung is not a _dancer_ , so of course it isn’t. To Hyunjin’s credit, the choreo he’s worked out (so far only for the chorus) is… really good. It’s impactful and emotionally charged, and the first time Jisung watches Hyunjin do it, he thinks that there’s absolutely _no_ way he can do it, too. But then Hyunjin slows it down, shows Jisung step by step, and enthusiastically encourages him whenever he gets something right, even if Jisung’s moves seem a lot smaller than Hyunjin’s.

When he _doesn’t,_ though--

“Try to think of it as a line moving from your knee to your chest,” Hyunjin explains, showing Jisung the rolling motion he hasn’t quite managed to get down yet. “Or, well, from your knee, to your hip, and then to your chest…” Jisung tries again, but Hyunjin shakes his head and walks closer, putting a hand on his knee, the other on Jisung’s hip. “Bend down a bit? Now roll your hips without moving your knee or your chest.”

Jisung feels his heartbeat speed up and he frowns when he can’t really tell the reason why it’s happening. He tries to do as he’s told but he’s suddenly so aware of where he is and where Hyunjin is that he flushes bright red and has to scrunch his eyes shut as he gives his best at not losing his fucking shit for no reason.

“You’re good at this, you know,” Hyunjin says.

“You’re probably just saying that…” Jisung huffs, peeking ahead and slowly letting go of a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“You have music running through your veins, and that helps more than you’d think,” Hyunjin mumbles, then, clearing his throat and stepping away.

“That’s the sexiest thing anyone’s ever told me…” Jisung mutters, rubbing at his arm and scratching up his t-shirt’s sleeve as he turns to glance at Hyunjin. _What in the world..._

“Yeah, yeah, straight boy,” Hyunjin scoffs, looking down at whatever seems to have caught his attention. “Just practise that when you’re alone and I’m sure you’ll blow me away next time,” he says, smiling up for a moment before clearing his throat and turning around.

Jisung looks down as he nods small and then frowns. It’s not that he’s uncomfortable. It’s… just very tingly, isn’t it, this feeling? And it’s been around for a while, too, hasn’t it? Funny, how much it didn’t really matter before. Funny, how much it seems to matter now. Defense mechanism? Probably; the impossibility of something doesn’t hurt, unlike the possibility but ‘alas’ unavailability of something.

“Just gonna--” Hyunjin mumbles, pointing over his shoulder. “Wash my face if you wanna watch a movie or something…?”

“Yeah,” Jisung agrees, smiling up at him. “What are you in the mood for?”

Hyunjin shrugs, already slowly walking backwards to the bathroom. “Show me one of your favourites.”

Jisung puffs a breath and looks down, hands to his hips as he glances around the room. “Well… Hm. I guess we’re down for something emotional!” He takes a breath and then asks, “Have you ever watched ‘About time’?” Hyunjin shakes his head. “Then that’s what we’re going to watch!”

* * *

**Hyunjin**

Hyunjin can see why ‘About Time’ would be one of Jisung’s favourites. It’s funny and it’s romantic, but it’s also so very sad sometimes. It’s simple and complicated, and a few things have Hyunjin giggling like an idiot. Going back in time to try your first time having sex over and over? Pfff, if only.

Halfway through the movie, though, there are other things Hyunjin finds his attention drifting towards; Jisung’s fingers pressing against the squishy bit above Hyunjin’s knee or just fidgeting with the seam of Hyunjin’s jeans. Is he always this fidgety? Or is it just _today_ ? Is Jisung just doing this to mess with him? _Ugh_ …

 _Han Jisung is straight,_ Hyunjin reminds himself, quite sternly. Jisung is straight, which makes a lot of things very simple, including the fact that Hyunjin’s feelings towards him are completely irrelevant. Not like they’re _deep_ feelings, it’s just a silly crush, made even more silly because Jisung is straight, so Hyunjin periodically reminds himself of the fact. He kind of _has to,_ with how sure of his heterosexuality this man seems to be. _Touchy, touchy_.

Hyunjin shifts a little to make himself comfortable on the couch, eyeing Jisung a little curiously as he turns to his side to put his legs over Jisung’s lap and stretch out. _Oooh, this is comfy.._. “There, plenty to fiddle with.”

Jisung blinks down and smiles small, hugging Hyunjin’s legs close and making himself comfortable. His ears are a slight shade of red, but he’s been known to blush on occasion. It’s nothing new. _Even if he’s looking quite happy to be hugging my legs like this… Low maintenance, are you?_

What’s unusual and yet not entirely unknown to Hyunjin, though, is how quiet Jisung suddenly is. It’s very rare to catch him in a quiet vibe. But throughout the rest of the movie and then the small amount of time they spend in silence watching the credits roll, Jisung only seems to be present in body. His soul? Who knows.

“What are you thinking about?” Hyunjin asks softly, breaking the silence as gently as he can. He’s curious. This boy is still an almost complete mystery to him, after all.

Jisung blinks over and then away. “Oh… Nothing much…” He licks his lips and looks down to Hyunjin’s legs. “So, what… What did you think?”

“I loved it,” Hyunjin smiles with a nod. “Seriously, I loved it. Slice of life with a sci-fi twist? Sign me up,” he chuckles.

Jisung beams at him. “Right?! I don’t even know what I’d do if I had the power to go back, though… I’d be too scared to mess something up.”

“Eh, there’s probably small things that wouldn’t make that much of a difference,” Hyunjin chuckles. “Like… Not dyeing your hair or something? If you regretted the way it looked, I mean.”

“But what if my hair colour was the reason someone started talking to me?”

“Is that why you talked to me?” Hyunjin teases. “Because I’m _blonde_.”

“Obviously not,” Jisung scoffs. “I talked to you ‘cause you talked to me.”

“True. And it definitely wasn’t because of your hair colour. Would have hated you as a blonde, too.”

Jisung pouts and then looks away. “Well, I’m glad I grew on you.”

Hyunjin squints in slight confusion. _What’s that pout for..?_ “You know I don’t really hate you, right? Never did, either.”

“Meh, it’s fine,” Jisung sighs. “It would be your loss, anyway.”

“Yeeeah,” Hyunjin agrees. Something is… different. Or maybe it’s just part of Jisung’s quiet mood that Hyunjin needs to learn about, too. “So, you’re a romantic, then?” he asks, gesturing towards the screen and trying to keep the conversation going. He isn’t sure if he’ll be asked to go home, but he isn’t really in the mood for public transportation right now. 

Jisung shrugs one shoulder and straightens up a bit as he leans back against the wall. “Perhaps, yeah? I’ve never really done the whole dating thing the proper way but… Yeah, I think that I am.”

“Which kind?” Hyunjin asks. “Roses and champagne or more of the… Soulmates are real, kind?”

“Neither?” Jisung huffs, smiling small, fingers once again busy squeezing at Hyunjin’s calves. “Roses and champagne is too classy for me. I’m more of a hot dog and cola guy. Or, I don’t know, massive seafood dinner? Random dates, having fun, hanging out together, taking them home… Showing up after class with something for them and then taking them somewhere? Hm… I think the most important bit for me would be… making each other laugh and being honest with one another. The rest is just filling up time with experiences that could make the both of us richer.”

“Romance is money,” Hyunjin jokes, smiling down at his fiddled with leg. “That sounds nice, actually…”

“I think that some people’s definition of romance is money,” Jisung agrees. “But then again, everything revolves around money so it’s kind of like saying that living is breathing. I mean, _duh-uh.”_

Hyunjin rolls his eyes and kicks lightly with a leg. “I thought it was going to be a metaphor about how love _enriches_ your life or whatever, but no, you meant actual money.”

Jisung glances over. “Oh… Oh! Well… Yes? Not necessarily but…” He smiles. “You only live once, right? So why not experience all there is to experience and then form an opinion on what exactly makes you the happiest? I’d definitely want to experience romance like that!”

“Yeah, me too,” Hyunjin admits with a huff. “Too bad all the great guys are straight,” he jokes, mentally kicking himself for it. “Or, well,” he stutters. “Think the epitome of romance is a dick pic.”

Jisung’s eyes shift all over Hyunjin’s face before going all sad and big. “Ah… that guy, he really traumatized you, huh…?”

“Something like that,” Hyunjin huffs. “Don’t make that face, I’ll get reminded to be sad,” he jokes, reaching over to poke Jisung’s cheek.

“I’m just--” Jisung shoves Hyunjin’s hand away. “I’m just upset that you had to go through something like that! ‘Cause now your perceptions are tainted! Was it so hard to find someone to love you the right way? Imma--” Jisung bounces and jumps to his knees to shove his hands at Hyunjin and squeeze his cheeks. _Oh, he’s back_. “Force love into you!”

Hyunjin laughs, feeling his lips squish and making it hard to talk. “Not your _best_ line.”

Jisung puckers his lips, too, his eyes on Hyunjin’s squished lips. “Well, shucks to be me.”

“Aish,” Hyunjin complains, shoving Jisung’s hands away, happy about the fact that he didn’t blush too much during that whole interaction. “I’m not _traumatised_ by it,” he feels the need to defend. “I’m just… sensitive to certain things now, and wary of others.”

“Are you wary of me?” Jisung asks and he sounds rather serious about it.

Hyunjin raises an eyebrow. “Why, are you planning on making me your bicurious experiment?”

Jisung blinks and seems to go livid for a moment, before blushing bright red and grabbing a pillow that he throws at Hyunjin. _“YAH!_ Don’t insult me like that!”

Hyunjin laughs. “It’s only an insult if it’s _accurate_ , which I sure hope it isn’t, which would mean _no_ , I am not _wary of you_.”

“It’s insulting! Because!” Jisung says pointedly, “I wouldn’t do that to you.”

“I know, I know,” Hyunjin smiles. “I’m sure Changbin would be _very_ willing~”

“Huh?” Jisung goes, leaning back to frown at Hyunjin. “Willing to, _what?_ Date you?” Jisung’s face goes immediately sour. “No. Not happening.”

Hyunjin looks over in confused amusement. “Not that it _would_ but ouch?”

“Why ‘ouch’?” Jisung questions, leaning closer to squint at Hyunjin.

“You don’t think he’d wanna date me?”

“Doesn’t matter if he wants to or not. He’s too savage for you.”

Hyunjin raises an eyebrow. “He walked through here earlier in a wolf onesie, what do you _mean_ ?” _Why are you acting like a jealous boyfriend..?_

Jisung rolls his eyes and leans back. “Yes. He’s a baby. But he’s a savage baby. Too… to the point. Very stale. You’re like… sensitive yet really strong, and you like depth, mystic things and… Changbin is very ‘face value’. Which is a good thing! I just don’t think it would be a good thing for _you_ as more than a friend. But that’s just my opinion!”

“Riiiiight,” Hyunjin laughs softly. “Any of your _other_ friends you’d rather I date? Goodness…”

Jisung actually considers it. “Well… No. I’d trust Chan to do a good job but that ship has already sailed.”

“You’re so weird,” Hyunjin mumbles, wiggling his legs a little. 

“Yes, I’m weird. You love me weird. Now pick a movie,” Jisung demands. “It’s your turn to wow me.”

“Hm,” Hyunjin thinks, still eyeing Jisung suspiciously. “Ever watched Coco?”

Jisung makes a face as he settles down and pulls Hyunjin’s legs over his own once again. “No. Sounds like a chocolate drink. What’s it about?”

“Not telling~” Hyunjin teases, ears going a little red. _Dammit_. “But I bet I’ll have to hold your crying ass again before it’s over.”

Jisung pauses and then peeks over with a small grin. “Challenge accepted!”

And, as expected, Jisung is all snot and tears the moment Coco sings his grandmother that _damn song_.

* * *

**Jisung**

The following Friday, around six in the afternoon, Jisung is shedding tears over his phone because Sebae, the lioness, cannot find her sister. Honestly? Who needs poetry when National Geographic documentaries can deliver lines such as; _Giants loom. The mercury bubbles, and danger lurks in every shadow._ This is nearly as good as _top_ -ass H. P. Lovecraft quotes. Better, even, because it has _emotional impact._

Jisung rolls around in bed so the tears will run down his temples and not to the tip of his nose and dirty his phone. His shirt catches in the movement and lifts up his stomach but he can’t be bothered to pull it back down. In fact, it gives him easy access to scratch at his navel, which he does mid sniffle.

At last, Sebae, the lioness, catches a familiar scent, and Jisung reaches up to clean his eyes. Sebae roars softly at the sunset but her calls go unanswered, leaving a single, terrifying question; is her sister still alive?

Before Jisung can find out the answer, however, a knock at his door makes him pause the video before he sits up and untwists his shirt to pull it back in place. “Yeah?” he questions.

“Yo, gonna need you to--” Changbin starts, peeking in and blinking at him. “You good, dude?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jisung nods, locking his phone and shifting to the edge of the bed. “Sad video. What’s up?”

Changbin raises an eyebrow and scoffs small. “Gonna need you to make yourself all pretty, you’re coming out with me.”

Jisung pauses as he stares at his desk and then looks at Changbin to squint at him. “Huh? Where? What?”

“Outside. Where the humans roam. Humans that have eyeballs, so, something pretty, _chop chop_.”

“Why don’t you ask Chan?” Jisung whines, throwing himself back over the bed. “I wanna stay home. I’m in a mood.”

“Chan is midway through a charity stream. You really want to condemn the--” Changbin pauses. “Okay, I don’t know who the charity stream is _for_ , but still, don’t have them suffer just because you’re lazy and vibing to sad shit.” He pauses again and sighs. “I really need you to coooome,” Changbin whines, melting against the doorframe. “I can’t meet up with Minho on my own, he scares me.”

Jisung stares at the ceiling for a few seconds. “Here I thought you had your eye on him.”

“I do, and that just makes it extra scary!” Changbin whines. “Please, Jisungiiiiiie.”

Jisung squints at the ceiling and reaches up to poke at his own cheek. “Kiss me and I’ll go.”

“You know I can’t kiss people without getting emotionally attached.”

“Then I’m not going.”

“Hyunjin is going to be there~”

“Fine!” Jisung exclaims, throwing both arms up and sitting up.

“Maybe he’ll kiss you,” Changbin cackles, turning away.

Jisung doesn’t know why he’s suddenly frozen but he shivers the freeze away and shakes his head before getting up. _Clothes, clothes, clothes…_ He looks down at his sweatpants and tilts his head. _Where are we going exactly? Is it a place too fancy for sweatpants or…?_ Jisung walks up to his built-in wardrobe and slides the door open with his foot so he can stare at his pants. _Jeans? Oh! I have leather, huh? Why would Hyunjin want to kiss me, anyway…? Oh! Camo jacket!_

Without getting out of his grey sweatpants, Jisung pulls on some socks and throws his camo jacket over his t-shirt, peeking in the mirror to give his messy haired self a glance. _I’m so handsome,_ he thinks as he finger-guns himself with a wink and a quick grin.

“Yah!” he yells, “I’m done!” he adds, shoving a hand into the left pocket of his jacket to find a mouth mask. He pulls it out and blinks at it. “Oh, that’s where this was…?” _Been looking for you for ages!_

“Are you still wearing the sweatpants, Han Jisung?” Changbin calls from the living room.

Jisung frowns and looks up. “Huh… Yes…?”

“I am not walking you into a flock of gays while you’re wearing _sweatpants_! I have a reputation to uphold here! Do you want Hyunjin to kiss you or not?!”

“Why would I want Hyunjin to kiss me?!” Jisung yells in sudden frustration as he starts peeling off his jacket. “Could have said so! That we were going somewhere _fancy--_ Wait.” He pauses. “Gays?”

“Me. Minho. Hyunjin. Possibly others. Don’t panic.”

“I’m _not_ panicking,” Jisung panics as he takes off his shirt in the most awkward way possible and trips on one of his boots. _“Fuck--Wha--_ Shit.” _Plop._

That’s also apparently when Changbin decides to peek his head in, grinning from ear to ear. “Oooh, nice.”

“What is?” Jisung grumbles from the floor as he kicks off his sweatpants.

“Not even there yet and he’s already swept off his feet,” Changbin sighs, walking in (and stepping over Jisung to his wardrobe). “Call me Tan France and thank me later,” he says, reaching in and seemingly randomly grabbing articles of clothing to throw over Jisung.

“Whomst?”

“You’re so _straight--” Yeah, about that--_ “Jesus,” Changbin complains, and Jisung whines when he gets hit by a fucking _belt in the stomach, Changbin_ . _Ow_. “There, you’ll look hot.”

Jisung looks between the belt and his boxers. “I… What?”

“Idiot,” Changbin laughs as he tosses over a white t-shirt and jeans. “Do you need directions or have you done this before?”

“Aish! Just leave!” Jisung whines, grabbing the pants to wiggle them at Changbin like he’s a fly that needs to stay away.

“ _It’s not a phase, mom_ ,” Changbin mocks as he does, indeed, leave. “Five minutes, chop de-fuckin’ chop.”

Jisung gets dressed while his brain stresses between ‘gays’, being straight, Hyunjin, and, for some forsaken reason, wanting to look presentable. He stumbles his way into the bathroom as he puts on his jeans only to wash his face and see if he can do something about his puffy eyes and messy hair. He can’t perform miracles, he’s not Jesus Christ. But, well… for a last minute warning and only five (actually ten) minutes to get ready, he does pretty well.

Changbin _does_ pat his cheek and calls him a, “Pretty baby,” so it’s probably not that bad. Still, fucker won’t kiss his cheek so he can rot in hell.

* * *

**Hyunjin**

It’s a hip place. They play things like The Neighbourhood and Arctic Monkeys; there’s weird, psychedelic art pieces on the walls and a big ‘안녕’ written on the floor by the entrance in coins that have been worked into the floor itself. Everyone here looks so… _cool_ , too; Hyunjin keeps spotting brightly colored hair and tattoos, and when he asks Minho about it, the guy just shrugs and points to their new friend, Jeongin, who recently dyed his hair blue and is apparently trying to talk up a girl who won’t stop pinching his cheeks.

Hyunjin is the only person of age in his group of friends, except for Minho, who has taken full advantage of that, sipping on some yellow drink that has far too much vodka in it for Hyunjin’s stomach to even consider handling it. Jeongin acted all cute so the two of them would buy him alcohol, so of course they couldn’t refuse.

“Must you come to a club dressed in Business Casual?” Hyunjin asks Minho, grinning slightly as he sips at his own drink. It’s sweet, and the pink kind of matches Hyunjin’s shirt. “You look like you’re about to whip out a Power Point presentation on why my outfit is inappropriate for the workplace.”

Minho looks down at his striped button up that is neatly tucked into his black pants. “I represent a type within the spectrum.”

Hyunjin raises an amused eyebrow. “The rainbow doesn’t contain ‘light brown’.”

“It doesn’t contain ‘desperate’ shades either but here you are,” Minho scoffs before taking a sip of his drink.

Hyunjin pouts down at himself and quietly takes another sip. How is skinny jeans and a low cut shirt _desperate_?

“Don’t act like you didn’t change outfits twice when I told you Changbin was bringing Jisung with him.”

“Jisung has already seen the other shirt,” Hyunjin mumbles indignantly. “Is Changbin why you’re dressed like this? So you can meet his parents at incredibly short notice if needed?”

“Maybe,” Minho replies, eyes on the crowd.

Hyunjin giggles at a stray thought. _Those two, Chanbin and Jisung… They’re both so tiny_. And maybe that’s how they sort of sneak up on both Hyunjin and Minho, Hyunjin blinking himself back to reality when he hears Changbin’s voice.

“Hey!” Changbin squeaks. Is his voice always this high-pitched? He looks pretty, and _expensive, damn_. “Couldn’t find you for a bit there.”

“Did you confuse Hyunjin for one of the pillars? Honest mistake,” Minho says, immediately offering Changbin his drink. “Here, try this. You look like you need it more than I do.”

Changbin squints even as he slowly reaches out for the drink. “Thanks…”

“Hey,” Hyunjin tries to greet Jisung, leaning in to get his attention. What is he _looking at?_

“He--Hey,” Jisung says even as his eyes keep shifting all over the place. It takes him a moment to finally look at Hyunjin but he seems to pause when he finally does. “Oh. _Hey.”_

Hyunjin scoffs a laugh, ears going pink. “Looks like we both clean up pretty nicely~” And it’s true; Jisung looks… _Ugh, he looks hot_ . _Did he have to look hot?!_

“What?” Jisung asks, blinking and shifting closer before skipping ahead his own question and saying, “You look nice!”

“The sky is also blue and the sun is a star,” Changbin says. When did he finish that drink?!

“Ugh, you’re so annoying,” Jisung scoffs, giving Changbin a look and then blinking at Hyunjin one more time before looking away. “Nice place.”

“Obviously,” Minho agrees. “Jeongin is by the bar, by the way, in case you want to go greet him.”

“Isn’t it past his bedtime?” Changbin asks, looking around to try and spot him.

“Isn’t it past yours? Yet, here you are,” Minho teases.

“I am two years older than him!” Changbin whines, shoving the empty glass back at Minho. “More.” 

Minho blinks down at his chest, seemingly surprised. Hyunjin almost expects him to say no but, instead, Minho just silently glances at the bar and turns a little to walk towards it. _Huh..._

“Do you want a drink?” Hyunjin asks Jisung, leaning in again for his attention. _So distracted…_

“Huh?” Jisung seems to jump a little, looking at Hyunjin with big eyes and then nodding. “Oh! Yes. I can get us drinks--Oh wait--” he points at Hyunjin’s drink. “You already have one. Right. _Wait._ I can’t get drinks, I’m not--”

“Yeeeeah,” Changbin goes. “I’ll go get you one,” he says, patting Jisung on the shoulder and following after Minho.

“Are you okay..?” Hyunjin asks once they’re alone, holding out his drink to offer Jisung a sip.

Jisung sighs and shifts closer before taking the drink and taking a big sip. “Ah… Thanks. And yeah--” he hands Hyunjin his drink back, “I’m fine. I just… Dude, I was crying about lions not even an hour ago. I didn’t expect to get dragged into…” Jisung looks around. “Whatever this is.”

“A _club_ ,” Hyunjin grins. “It’s this place where people get drunk and dance and makeout.” He tilts his head. “Why lions?”

“I was watching a Nat Geo Wild documentary…” Jisung mumbles, crossing his arms and squinting ahead.

“Aw,” Hyunjin pouts. “Cute.”

“Meh,” Jisung puffs, straightening up and peeking at Hyunjin. “Is that why you’re here? To… Get drunk, dance and makeout?”

“Ah,” Hyunjin flushes, taking an unnecessarily long sip of his drink. “No…? Maybe just a little bit drunk, but mostly the dancing bit. Which should surprise absolutely no one.”

Jisung huffs a laugh and shakes his head. “Aish. It really is your natural habitat, huh? Dancefloors, I mean.”

“It’s the only thing I’m good at,” Hyunjin jokes. “Or, well, the only thing I can do… naturally. Without thinking too hard or worrying too much. So I guess so.”

Jisung tilts his head at Hyunjin and watches his face for a moment before looking away. “Ah, I’m sure there’s other things you’re naturally good at.”

“Pouting at cameras,” Hyunjin jokes. “Fashion, maybe?”

“You dress well, yes,” Jisung agrees.

“Ah, so you like what I’m wearing?” Hyunjin teases, for some reason. Perhaps just to make changing twice worth it?

Jisung blinks over, looking Hyunjin up and down before wiggling his eyebrows. “Didn’t I say you look nice?”

Hyunjin scoffs a laugh and pokes at Jisung’s forehead. “I don’t know, did you?”

“This is so frustrating,” Jeongin says out of nowhere, Hyunjin blinking over to where the guy inserted himself into the conversation. “ _None_ of the girls are flirting with me, only the guys. _Whyyyy_ ,” he groans. Hyunjin has to laugh.

“Changbin mentioned ‘gays’ so maybe that applies to the girls, too?” Jisung questions, looking around.

“This isn’t a gay club, it’s just… not exclusively straight,” Hyunjin shrugs.

“Come here often, do you?” Jisung questions.

“First time,” Hyunjin smiles.

“Oh, great, more flirting men,” Jeongin groans. “I’m out.” 

Jisung gasps and uncrosses his arms to point at himself. “Woah! Me, too! First time!”

“Greetings, virgins,” Changbin says, then. “Clearly I missed a lot.”

“Yah!” Jisung immediately goes, pointing his finger at Changbin’s cheek. 

“I can’t decide if you’re scolding him or pointing out that he is also a virgin,” Hyunjin hums.

“Both,” Jisung says.

“Here,” Changbin scoffs, handing Jisung a drink. “Lighten and loosen up.”

“I’m light and loosened up,” Jisung complains as he takes the drink and downs half of it in one go.

“Oh, are you?” Minho questions from behind Changbin’s shoulder, where he places his chin. “Interesting,” he adds, glancing at Hyunjin, who chokes on his own drink _just a little bit_ . _Why am I friends with this son of a bitch?!_

“Why is Jeongin sulking, anyway?” Changbin asks.

“He’s straight,” Hyunjin says, and Changbin nods knowingly as if that explains everything.

“Does it?” Jisung asks, looking between all of them.

“Does what?” Changbin blinks.

“Yes,” Hyunjin answers teasingly. “It explains _everything_.”

Jisung glances over and shrugs. “Okay…” He then almost shoves his drink into Changbin’s face. “What’s in this? I’m feeling things.”

“Lion tears,” Changbin deadpans.

“I’ve never wanted to throw my drink on someone’s face so bad…” Jisung says, sounding both mildly angry and excited about the prospect of throwing his drink on Changbin’s face.

Hyunjin giggles, hand up to his mouth. 

“Did you cry into the cup?” Minho questions, tilting his chin over Changbin’s shoulder to peek at him.

“Did you just call me a lion?” Changbin blinks.

“Did I?”

Hyunjin rolls his eyes and puts his glass down after drinking the rest of its contents. “Wanna dance?” he asks Jisung, who still looks mildly like a deer caught in the headlights.

“I suppose that’s one of the things I can do around here,” Jisung says before he downs the rest of his drink, putting the glass down and squinting for a moment. Hyunjin can almost _see_ the way the alcohol is hitting him. It’s cute.

Hyunjin reaches for Jisung’s wrist with a giggle, dragging him into the crowd of dancing strangers. And yes, even though it’s Jisung, it’s actually quite easy to dance with him. He’s silly and that puts Hyunjin at ease. They don’t take any of it seriously, and at some point Jisung even starts dancing the few choreographed moves Hyunjin taught him; _My Pace_ seems to be his favourite. It’s fun! 

At the back of his head, though, Hyunjin is busy shitting up stray thoughts about the sweat on Jisung’s neck and about how easy it _could_ be to wrap his arms around his tiny waist. _Not fun._

* * *

**Jisung**

Jisung drapes himself over the counter and wheezes but the sound is muffled by the loud music bouncing off the walls of the club. He reaches back and slaps his hand over the back of his neck, making a face at how sweaty it feels, but he immediately straightens up when Hyunjin joins him and the both of them wait for the barman to look at them to order drinks.

“I think that I just worked my calves into exhaustion by jumping like that,” Jisung huffs, taking his coke and rum the moment it gets placed in front of him and taking a loud slurp. “Oh, fuck, that’s _niiiice…” Cold, cold, cold ~_

Hyunjin giggles (as he has been doing occasionally the entire time they were dancing), tilting his head and combing his hair back to drink from the ice-cold looking water bottle the barman hands him. _That can’t be necessary_. “Fun, though, right?”

“What do you mean, man,” Jisung pushes away from the bar to gesture at his shaky legs. “How will I ever get home, huh?” he jokes, moving closer to the counter again and crossing his arms close to his chest as he catches the straw of his drink between his lips and sips some more.

“Changbin has strong legs; use him as an Uber,” Hyunjin jokes, turning around to look at the dance floor as he takes sips from his water. It’s only a few moments later that Jisung realizes that he’s staring, and immediately looks away, frowning to himself. “I might go back in again…”

Jisung glances over. “Oh? Sure…” He peeks back at the dancing crowd over his shoulder and then looks at Hyunjin for a second before looking away. “You’re made of sturdier stuff, I suppose.”

“This is your average dance practise, really,” Hyunjin hums, smiling over all brightly and undoing a button on his shirt. “Besides, I’m all hyped up on adrenaline and things, so…” 

“You sure that’s all you’re here for?” Jisung asks mid scoffing a laugh. “Dancing, I mean.”

“I am _offended_ by your insinuations, Han Jisung.”

“Alright, alright,” Jisung defends, lifting both hands like he’s being held at gunpoint. “Go do your thing, I’ll be… over here. Regaining some of my life forces and watching you, I suppose.” _Where are the others, anyway…?_

Hyunjin quirks a playful eyebrow. “Watching me, huh?”

“Don’t get cocky, you should be used to people watching you dance.”

“People, yes, not Han Jisungs,” Hyunjin jokes, putting the water down on the counter.

Jisung wiggles his hand and gestures at himself even as he arches his back, “Mhm, obviously, I’m a dance connoisseur, I’m the top of the top, I shall evaluate your skills.”

“Top, huh?” Hyunjin laughs with a nod as he walks slowly backwards. “Noted.”

Jisung huffs a laugh and pinches at his t-shirt to fan himself a little, turning around to press his back against the counter, drink in hand as he watches Hyunjin. Honestly, there’s nothing new to see, nothing Jisung hasn’t already seen. But… it’s still different, isn’t it? Maybe it’s ironic that, despite Jisung telling Hyunjin he’d be looking, Hyunjin still seems to dance like he isn’t at all being watched, like it’s entirely for himself and to have _fun_ , as it must be, what with that small smile on his face.

Coke is what keeps Jisung entertained while his eyes bounce in-between the crowd and Hwang Hyunjin, and it’s what keeping his thoughts chill, otherwise he’d be up in flames already, trying to figure out which back-program is the one his brain is subconsciously running.

It’s a few (very distracted) minutes later that Jisung feels a tap on his shoulder and looks up ( _up,_ up) at a man with cheekbones sharp enough to cut steel and, apparently, arms that don’t get cold even at night. _Whomst? Asian Bear Grylls’ son?_

“Hey, sorry to bother,” the guy says. “That guy in the pink shirt... Are you two, like, together, or…? I saw you talking earlier.”

“Huh?” Jisung goes, gaping for a moment before his eyes go between the man and Hyunjin, who’s still dancing in the middle of the crowd. “Oh, uhm, him…?” Jisung points. “No… We’re not… We’re just friends,” he adds, nodding and taking another sip of rum and coke.

“ _Nice_ ,” the guy goes before laughing. “Sorry, it’s just--” he whistles lowly and looks over to Hyunjin. “Nice.”

Jisung frowns like he doesn’t get it. _Why are you saying ‘nice’ like you just scored the lottery? It’s just Hyunjin..._

“Anyway, thanks, dude,” the guy says, reaching over to pat Jisung’s shoulder before moving into the crowd towards Hyunjin. 

Jisung keeps the stray between his lips and watches the guy tap Hyunjin on the shoulder. Hyunjin looks over in adorable confusion and giggles when the guy says something by his ear. _That_ makes Jisung frown. _What are you being cute for? Is that a blush I’m seeing?_

 _Getting drunk, dancing and making out_ , Jisung remembers Hyunjin saying. _What a liar,_ Jisung thinks, glancing away when he sees the guy put his hands on Hyunjin’s hips to dance with him. ‘Mostly just dancing’, Hyunjin said. But Jisung has watched too many movies to know that’s not where _that over there_ is going.

* * *

  
  


One hour has passed and Jisung is still very much alone. Except now he doesn’t have a drink to keep him busy at the forefront and his back-program is starting to pull conscious resources and accessing far too many important neurons. Is Jisung fuming? Not quite, not yet. But Changbin is having Minho-time and Hyunjin is still pasted to that slug. _Although, if he’s a slug, I’m a fucking worm._

_And great, now I’m comparing myself to some random guy I don’t even know by name._

It’s difficult not to get a little angry; he came here with Changbin because he thought that _maybe_ he’d get Hyunjin-time. But now he feels put aside. Is that his fault? Maybe a little. But then why does it matter? Why does he _care?_ Does Hyunjin care? Not enough to even spare Jisung a look, _tsk._

And just like that, just like always, Jisung spirals himself into anger.

He brings out his phone and stays by the bar while he scrolls through his social media apps. There’s nothing interesting going on, but at least Chan’s stream seems to be going well. _Would it be too weird if I texted him mid stream? Does he even know I’m not home?_

“Hey,” Minho huffs as he leans over the counter, startling Jisung, who almost sends his phone flying across the bar.

“He--Hey!” he squeaks.

“Sorry.”

“S’fine! I’m fine,” Jisung huffs. “All s’fine.”

Minho gives Jisung a look and then glances away to wave at the bartender. “Is it…?” he asks Jisung. “You looked like you were cooking something nasty inside that head of yours.”

“I’m really not,” Jisung huffs, somehow even angrier for having been read like an open book.

“Alright,” Minho seems to agree. And the moment the bartender walks closer, Minho asks for, “Two cokes with rum, please.”

“Getting your boyfriend a drink?” Jisung questions.

“I’d loath to date you.”

Jisung blinks. “Wait.” He looks over. “You’re getting _me_ a drink?”

Minho shrugs. “You look like you need some company. Also, Changbin can get his own drinks. He’s a grown man.”

“See,” Jisung says, conversationally and so very thankful for the distraction, “Imma have to disagree with you on that one. Changbin; baby.”

“Grown baby.”

“Yes.”

“So, a man.”

Jisung buffers. _“No…?”_

Minho peeks over and then glances back over his shoulder. Jisung only realizes that he’s watching Hyunjin and his slug when he follows Minho’s line of sight. “You know,” Minho starts, “He changed clothes twice when I told him you were coming. Seems like a shame to be wasting that outfit on someone he didn’t even dress up for.”

Jisung blinks. “What?”

“Oh, thanks!” Minho chirps when two cokes and rum get placed in front of him. He immediately slides his card over the counter and Jisung frowns as it gets two stamps on it. “Thanks to you I can get Changbin a free drink next round.”

“You’re welcome…?” Jisung tries. _I… This guy eludes me._

“Here you go,” Minho says as he offers Jisung one of the cokes. “Don’t drink it too fast. It’ll go to waste.”

Jisung nods. “I’ll try…” he mumbles. “Uhm--”

“Yes?” Minho immediately says like he was expecting Jisung to ask him something all along. _What in the world…?_

“Uhm,” Jisung clears his throat. “Is… Is Changbin going to take long?”

Minho raises both eyebrows and blinks. “I… don’t know…?” A pause. “Why? Do you want to leave?”

Jisung grumbles something under his breath and takes his drink’s straw into his mouth. Suddenly, he realizes that he’s staring at Hyunjin and his slug, _again._ Fuck _my life._ “Just send him my way when you’re done with him.”

“O... _kay…?_ ” Minho scoffs, turning around to walk away but pausing to look back at Jisung and point at him. “I don’t share.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” Jisung whines. “Just goooo!”

“Okay, okay, bye…” 

Jisung sighs once he’s alone again. He takes Minho’s advice and lets himself ‘enjoy’ the coke with rum. But now he’s not drinking fast enough to feel like light-headedness he was riding before, and his stomach nearly drops into the pits of hell when he sees Mr. Slug pull Hyunjin to him and lean in close like he’s going to kiss him.

Never has Jisung ever looked away from something so fast.

He stares at feet for a couple of minutes. And even though his eyes very much want to shift towards the ‘action’, towards where his curiosity keeps whispering him to, Jisung knows that he just… he can’t. His stomach feels tight and far away, his heart is doing things inside his chest, and he’s getting so, so, so angry that he really just feels like crying, or exploding; one of the two.

_But why?_

Jisung leaves his drink behind and slowly makes his way outside without being seen. The fresh air helps and he stays by the front door, watching people get in and out of the club and actually looking like they belong in there. Then, before he knows it, Jisung is sitting down on the edge of the sidewalk, phone pressed to his ear while he listens to it beep away.

“Hey, Chan,” he greets softly the moment the call connects. “Are you still doing that stream?”

“I am!” Chan chirps excitedly. “You’re technically on it, too, now.”

“I’m--” Jisung huffs a laugh. “I’m going back home. Should be there in twenty… thirty…? Wait for me and I might do a round with you. For the stream, I mean.”

“For real? Sweet, I can’t wait! Honestly, I kind of need the help staying awake. Hey, guys--” Chan says, obviously addressing his camera, now. “Jisung’s gonna be joining soon, isn’t that great?”

“I’ll see ya in a bit,” Jisung chuckles.

“See ya!”

He gets up the moment he shoves his phone back into his pocket and starts making his way to the bus station. At the back of his head, he’s starting to be aware of… things. But _consciously,_ he doesn’t really want to admit it, does he…? It’s just a friendship, after all. And it’s not like Jisung has any sort of special claim or say on what Hyunjin is, does or wants. But, apparently, it matters; _that_ matters. What, and _who_ Hyunjin wants… Matters to him. Is it because Jisung knows he deserves better? Maybe. And despite most of the denial he’s dealing with, he has no trouble admitting that _he,_ Han Jisung, could do better than everyone else.

“Just dancing my ass,” Jisung grumbles to himself.

* * *

**Hyunjin**

People act so differently in places like this, in ways Hyunjin can’t fathom people acting when there isn’t alcohol and flatteringly dimmed lights and loud music. Would anyone really come up to Hyunjin in the street and lean in far too close to call him beautiful, and then do their utmost to press their crotch to Hyunjin’s ass? Hopefully not, because _dear lord_ , but this guy did, and Hyunjin sort of… let him. Because it’s good, isn’t it? To have a handsome, _clearly_ interested man be very loudly interested. That’s _good_ for Hyunjin, right? Hyunjin, who is trying to fall out of a crush with someone who isn’t even an _option_ . So, yes, maybe Hyunjin let a stranger dance with him, but it’s _for his own good_.

Right? Right…

Kissing him, though? That’s a whole different story, and one Hyunjin doesn’t particularly want to be a character in. 

“Ah, ahah, no,” Hyunjin laughs nervously as he leans back and away from the guy’s advances and flushes red. “Sorry! The dancing was nice, but, uhm, sorry…”

“Oh,” the guy seems surprised, “That’s--That’s alright. Can we forget the last couple of seconds, then?” he tries.

Hyunjin raises an eyebrow as he feels himself smile. “You… still want to dance even though I’m not going to kiss you…?” _Huh…_

“I’ll go kiss someone else afterwards. _Maybe.”_

“Maybe,” Hyunjin laughs, and with a last glance at the counter, spotting Jisung with his head down, Hyunjin lets himself be led further into the crowd, losing all track of time for… Well, if he _knew_ , then he wouldn’t be able to say he ‘lost track of time’, now could he? 

When he _does_ excuse himself and heads back to the counter, Jisung is no longer there, though, and Hyunjin immediately feels awful. Did he find someone else to dance with…? Did he _leave?_ Maybe he’s just with Minho and Changbin, but then again, Hyunjin _finds_ Minho and Changbin, talking and giggling in one of the booths, with Jisung nowhere to be seen.

“Hey,” Hyunjin greets in full pout. 

“Hey,” Changbin blinks. “Careful with that thing, someone’s going to trip on it.”

“He means your bottom lip,” Minho explains, “It’s dragging.”

Hyunjin glares at the two of them as he sucks his lip in and bites it for a second. “Whatever. Have you guys seen Jisung?”

“Nope,” Minho says, looking away to pick up his drink. “I think he left.”

“Wait, what?!” Changbin exclaims.

Minho points over his own shoulders. “Saw him wander towards the entrance.”

Hyunjin’s pout comes back as his stomach drops. _Oh… Oh, I fucking SUCK, don’t I?_

“Why?” Minho asks, peeking up once again.

“I… just thought we were going to hang out some more,” Hyunjin huffs, scratching at the back of his head.

“He was hanging out with the drink I left him with.”

“Aw, you bought him a drink?” Changbin asks in ‘baby’.

“So I could get us a free one next, yes.”

“Hmmm, I love them frugal,” Changbin sighs.

Minho gives him a smile that could be considered scary and then looks at Hyunjin again. “What about the guy you were with? Did he leave?”

Hyunjin squints. “Were you watching me?”

“No…? Jisung was, though.”

“Why would that even matter,” Hyunjin kind of snaps, before sighing to himself and putting his hands on his hips, head down. _Ugh… This didn’t help AT ALL. THIS WASN’T THE PLAN!!!_

Minho blinks very slowly. “Maybe you should call him? Maybe he’s still nearby.”

“I was going to call him!” Hyunjin defends, reaching for his phone. _Shit, that’s a good idea_.

“I know this is a club but if you don’t lower your voice I’ll have to muffle you with paper tissues again,” Minho deadpans.

Hyunjin shivers when vivid memories come to the surface. He takes a few steps backwards. “I’ll go call him _outside_.”

“Fantastic idea!” Minho chirps.

“I am drunk,” Changbin chirps happily, as if entirely unaware of his surroundings.

“Equally great.”

Hyunjin rolls his eyes and turns around, scrolling for Jisung’s contact as he works his way through the crowd to leave through the front door. Hopefully, Jisung is still here, and Hyunjin can fix this… 

The call connects and Hyunjin is greeted with a very soft, “Hey…?”

“Hey!” he greets back with as much enthusiasm as he can. “Where are you?”

“Home.”

Hyunjin feels himself deflate as his stomach fills with an unpleasant feeling. _Hmm, tastes like guilt_. “Oh. I’m sorry…”

“What for?” Jisung asks, Hyunjin swears he can hear a keyboard. _Is he gaming?_

“Leaving you alone…?” Hyunjin huffs.

“Ah, it’s fine, it’s not like you went there to see me. You went to _dance, dance._ Oh, fuck--Sorry, uhm, yeah. Speaking of which, how is that going? The dancing, I mean.”

“It wasn’t who I wanted to dance with,” Hyunjin mumbles, picking at a random fluff on his jeans.

“Wait. _There was someone else?_ Damn, you’re greedy!”

Hyunjin rolls his eyes. “I meant you, dumbass.”

“Ah. Well, next time. Besides! Last time I saw you, you seemed to be doing quite well. _Sooooo?”_ Jisung inquisits. “How’s he? Nice smooching? Are you getting a boyfriend?!”

Hyunjin feels himself pull a face. “What? No! We didn’t even kiss, what are you--”

“That’s a shame,” Jisung says conversationally. “I was cheering for you.”

Hyunjin tongues at his cheek. This… _This_ is why he was dancing with a stranger. Because that kind of hurt. “Thanks, I guess. But no, despite what you might believe, I’m not the type to make out with strangers at clubs.”

“Are you going home soon, then?”

“Probably,” Hyunjin mumbles. “Minho might be bringing a drunk Changbin home, so be prepared for that…”

“I actually want no part in that endeavor, _thanks--”_ Jisung laughs. 

“You’re awful,” Hyunjin laughs. His stomach really is going through it now, huh?

“Aw, but you love me like this ~”

“Yeah,” Hyunjin agrees easily. 

_“Well,”_ Jisung starts, typing something on his keyboard before apparently shifting the phone around, “Since you’re so hopeless with your romance, I, Han Jisung, offer you my condolences and company on your way home, if you want to take it. I’m currently getting my ass handed over to me on purpose. I could use some company, too.”

Hyunjin smiles at the ground. “Whatcha playing? Blocks?”

“Rocket League, actually. I’m helping Chan with his stream. Ah, don’t worry, though, I muted myself. Said I had _an important call coming through ~”_

“Aw,” Hyunjin coos. “I’m stealing you from the masses? That’s sweet.”

“Yes. I am sweet.”

“Is that why you care so much about who I kiss?” Hyunjin asks, to his own sanity’s detriment.

“Hm?” Jisung questions. Hyunjin can almost hear the buffering. “Never said I cared…”

“You could at least pretend,” Hyunjin jokes.

“Also never said I didn’t!” Jisung defends.

“That’s better,” Hyunjin laughs.

“Maybe I care? Just a healthy little bit. I mean, we’re friends so…”

“Friends look out for each other,” Hyunjin nods as he looks around to find the nearby bus station. The bus is coming soon, right? Minho wouldn’t care if Hyunjin just left to go home; _You’re a grown man,_ he’d say. _I’m not responsible for you_. “That’s why you left me alone at a club with a man wearing a see through tank top. Makes sense.”

“I…” Jisung stutters on a couple of breaths. “ _Well._ You seemed to be doing alright…”

“Actually, he leaned in really close and started purring,” Hyunjin lies as seriously as he can. “Terrifying.”

“Oh, shit. _Shit,_ that’s bad… He might be a furry!” Jisung gasps.

“Well, he did call himself ‘a little sex kitten’, so--”

“Oh, ew--” Jisung makes a throw-up noise. “I’m gagging--”

“I’m so glad I’m joking,” Hyunjin laughs, standing up and stretching as he makes his way to the bus station.

“Still gagging!”

“That’s what she said.”

“Thought you were only into guys, Hyunjinie.”

“I’m trying to keep my jokes inclusive.”

“Mhm…” A pause. “Wait. Lemme just unmute myself real quick to yell at fucking--BANG CHRISTOPHER CHAN!” Hyunjin laughs and winces, holding the phone away from his ear but still hearing, “WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!”

_There goes my hearing._

* * *

  
  


Jisung bickers with Bang Christopher Chan long enough for Hyunjin’s bus to arrive. His timing is hilariously perfect, too, considering that the moment Hyunjin plops down on the seat, Jisung turns his attention back to him and explains, in extreme detail, what he was just yelling about. Hyunjin doesn’t understand any of it but Jisung still manages to phrase it in a way that entertains Hyunjin enough to listen properly.

They talk about games for a while. When Hyunjin gets home, Jisung is mid rambling about Overwatch. And then, while Hyunjin gets ready to get in bed, he listens to Jisung’s voice echo through the house while on speaker as he rambles on about whatever documentary he was watching before Changbin decided to drag him out of the house earlier today. All Hyunjin needs to do is make sounds of affirmation of throw in a, “Oh, really?” to have Jisung continue. It’s cute. It should be kind of annoying, but Hyunjin just finds it endearing.

 _Whipped_ , he tells himself as he gets in bed. He stretches in a way that makes a sound and then has his whole body melt into the bed.

“Sowwy, I was--” Hyunjin laughs softly. “Bed. Stretch. Comfy.”

“That’s fine. Just turned off my laptop. Gonna brush my teeth and get in bed, too.”

“I’ll wait~” Hyunjin chirps, and puts his phone down in front of his face like… Well, like Jisung is actually here, in bed with him. Not even in a _sexy_ way, just… his presence. 

Jisung doesn’t take long. And the moment he’s back, Hyunjin hears a lot of ruffling around, followed by a teasingly soft (and definitely unnecessary), “Hey, baby, I’m back ~”

“I’ll mute you, I swear,” Hyunjin laughs, glad Jisung can’t see how pink his ears are.

“Heh? Why?!”

“Just because you’re in your bedroom doesn’t mean you need to use your bedroom voice.”

“I have a bedroom voice?! Woah…”

“Everyone has a bedroom voice,” Hyunjin scoffs.

“Well, you’re the only one who knows that now.”

“You’re very proud of being a virgin, aren’t you?” Hyunjin teases instead of letting that affect him.

“Saving myself for the right one,” Jisung mocks while also not… actually mocking.

“I wish,” Hyunjin mumbles.

Jisung seems to pause for a moment of consideration and then gasps. “Oh, right, you had…”

“Doesn’t count.”

“If you say so, then it doesn’t.”

Hyunjin smiles, bringing his covers up properly over his shoulders and turning off his lamp, plunging his bedroom into darkness. His eyelids immediately seem to want to close with heaviness, and it only gets worse when Jisung talks, voice a lot more hushed than usual.

“Why say ‘I wish’, then? Aren’t you waiting for something ‘right’?” he asks.

“Starting to think ‘right’ just isn’t for me,” Hyunjin says. “I keep thinking things are right and then they’re not, so.” _You, for instance. You’re perfect. But then…_

“If it’s _right_ then it’s because all conditions have been met for it to be right, no? If something’s lacking then… it’s not _right.”_

Hyunjin smiles, rubbing lightly at his tired eyes. “Yeah, maybe…”

“What… hm…” Jisung takes a breath and sighs. “What is ‘right’ for you, though?”

Hyunjin licks his lips and opens his eyes, even though he can’t actually see much. _This…?_ “No doubts, I guess? Being… comfortable, like, _completely_ comfortable with someone. Something like that… I’m thinking back to _before_ I lost my romantic optimism.”

Jisung huffs a laugh. “I see…”

“Look, you run into walls enough times and you either stop running or you become very suspicious of walls.”

“How many times have you ran into a wall, Hyunjinnie?”

Hyunjin huffs but doesn’t answer. Jisung knows of _one_ heartbreak, and adding this whole mess on top of it would just… _Meh_. Unnecessary. “What’s ‘right’ for you?”

“Hm… I’d say it’s a place, but it could be a person, too. Somewhere I’m comfortable in or someone I… can be myself with without… I don’t know, the things that make you overthink…? I get anxious quite often about stupid shit. It helps when people understand that. When I feel like I don’t have to try that hard to make someone laugh or… be happy. Happiness is important to me. Not that, you know, not that it’s something that happens often but also _exactly_ because of that… It’s something we should always strive for. Like swimming and coming up for air every now and then.”

Hyunjin pouts. “Well, it’s the _pursuit_ of happiness. You constantly have to look for it.”

“Yeah, exactly.”

“You make me laugh a lot,” Hyunjin mumbles. His sleepy head is really bad at filtering thoughts, isn’t it?

“Aw ~” Jisung coos softly. “I’m glad.” A pause. “You actually make me quite happy. Just by the way.”

Hyunjin sighs softly as he nuzzles against his pillow. “Nice…”

“Sometimes it gets a bit convoluted,” Jisung rambles in a mumble. “But--”

“What do you mean?” Hyunjin asks in a mumble. _Don’t fall asleep, Hwang Hyunjin_.

“Sometimes, you piss me off. But then I talk to you or interact with you and I can’t really remember why I was pissed off in the first place.”

“Wait--” Hyunjin laughs. “ _I_ piss you off and _then_ you talk and interact with me?”

“I… Yes…?”

“Like. You think about me and get pissed off?”

“Yes… _What’s your point?!”_

“You’re so weird,” Hyunjin laughs. 

“Says you! The guy who just rejected Hot Mr. Slug at the club!”

“Slug!” Hyunjin laughs.

“He was PASTED to you! And glistening with sweat or whatever slugs excrete.”

“Yep, slugs sweat constantly, it’s why they’re so gooey,” Hyunjin giggles. 

“Gross.”

“You, too.”

“I’m not gross!”

“No, you’re not,” Hyunjin huffs. “Just giving your brain something to be pissed about once we stop talking.”

“Hang up and I’ll conjure your death in less than two seconds.”

“ _Beep, beep, beep_.”

Jisung takes in a deep breath to (most likely) complain. But then he sort of chokes on it and starts laughing. It begins as a soft giggle but it doubles into actual laughter that he has to muffle into his pillow.

They both giggle and laugh at apparently nothing, and that’s perfectly fine. Not everything needs to make sense.

It feels right. It shouldn’t, but it does, so Hyunjin decides to just… let it be. He decides to ignore that one, silly piece of the puzzle that doesn’t fit and focus on the fact that he’s happy right now. _The pursuit of happiness, not the custody of it_.

* * *

**Jisung**

“I think I’m crushing hard on someone,” Jisung announces to his two best friends the weekend after, at dinner. “It’s… yeah. I don’t believe ‘think’ is the right word. I’m pretty sure I’m falling…”

Chan stares wide eyed and Changbin drops the kimchi dumpling he was holding between his chopsticks.

“W--What? Who?!” Changbin goes, apparently very surprised at this information. Not that he has any right _not_ to be, it is coming out of literally nowhere.

“Well,” Jisung looks down, lips pouty. _“Someone._ But… I’m not exactly sure how to go about it… Like, do I… flirt with them? Do I… I don’t know. They’re a bit dense…”

“You could tell--” Chan glances at Changbin and then back to Jisung. “Them. How you feel, I mean.”

Jisung thumbs at the chopsticks in his hand and sighs when his chest gets a little tight. “I have a feeling just that wouldn’t be enough either…” _Ugh, why am I getting sadder by the second…? AND WHY IS MY HEART BEATING SO FAST!?--Great. Now I’m getting angry._

“You think they don’t like you back…? I thought you’d be more excited about liking someone, you’ve always wanted to,” Chan says.

“I was excited at first, I guess…” Jisung mumbles. “But I don’t want them to think that I’m just some other asshole taking advantage of them… I don’t even know if they like me. They probably don’t...”

“Well,” Chan says, shifting a little in his seat and glancing at a still very _shook_ Changbin. “Make sure…? Like, do things to woo them, I guess, and see how they react? Make sure they know you’re _not_ trying to take advantage? Whatever that’s supposed to mean, because I have _zero_ context.”

“Hm… Right,” Jisung nods. He nods again, this time more firmly. _Yeah._ “Yeah, okay, I’ll do that.”

“That’s better,” Chan chuckles. “A positive attitude _always_ helps.”

“ _Who_ , though?” Changbin asks again, in a whisper.

Jisung glances over and frowns. “There’s no way I’m telling you before I tell them…”

Changbin pouts and looks down at his dinner for a few seconds. “It’s not _Minho_ , right?” he asks then in a sort of panicked chirp.

Jisung gives him a look after exchanging one with Chan, who’s apparently trying not to laugh. “No one in their right mind would crush on Minho, Changbinie.”

“Right,” Changbin says, frowning like the information is still processing. He blinks up, then. “Oh, wow, I just insinuated you have a crush on a man and you barely blinked.”

Jisung puffs a breath and grips at his chopsticks to reach over for a dumpling and shove it into his mouth. “Maybe I’m not as straight as I thought I was?” he suggests.

“Yeah, we knew that,” Chan scoffs, laughing when Changbin makes a face at him. “ _What_ ..? I’ve been telling you for _years_.”

“Yes, but that’s private conversations between _friends_ , Christopher.”

Jisung raises both eyebrows and looks between them. “Wait. You two talk about me behind my back?”

“All friends do that,” Chan says dismissively.

“Yes, but with good intention,” Changbin nods. “Look, we just wondered, okay? You’ve never had a girlfriend and you don’t _act_ particularly straight.”

“Whatever _that’s_ supposed to mean,” Chan scoffs.

“Plenty of gay men also never had boyfriends,” Jisung chirps. “That doesn’t make them any less gay.”

“I _know_ ,” Changbin says. “That’s literally me you’re talking about. I’m just saying.” He pauses. “Wait, did you just… come out to us? Is that what just happened?”

Jisung rolls his eyes and looks down. _Whatever that means…_ “Don’t care about that.”

“ _Anyway_ ,” Chan supplies. “Whether it’s a boy or a girl, or neither or both, just… Do your thing,” he smiles. “I’m sure they’ll find you _just_ as charming as we do.”

Jisung pouts over at Chan. “Aw… You find me charming?”

“If that helps, yes,” Chan says, smiling brightly.

It doesn’t. But it also doesn’t not help. Still, it’s nice to know that Jisung’s friends got his back. It’s not like sexuality is that much of a deal for Jisung, and while that’s probably some internalized bullshit of his own, it’s something he’ll deal with some other day, some other time. Right now, what matters is coming to terms with the fact that, yes, Han Jisung has a crush on Hwang Hyunjin, and it’s been around for quite some time in the form of shadowy feelings Jisung never cared to fuel.

A crush on Hyunjin. The thought makes Jisung flush quite a bit. The true extent of what something like this means is a bit lost on Jisung’s little bird brain but he’s sure he’ll catch up, eventually. Right now, all he can think about is that Hyunjin is really pretty, that he’s kind and funny and lovable, that he is really fucking weird and sometimes a bit annoying in the most endearing of ways. And, most important of all, that Jisung wants to be the one to give that guy the love he deserves.


End file.
